The Ice Prince & The Dragon Queen
by zaera82
Summary: A Jon Snow & Daenerys Targaryen Love Story set in the future after the wars.The new Queen and King of Westeros will finally lead and rule the Seven Kingdoms into a time of peace and stability. Spoilers & Deviations from the book and show.
1. Chapter 1 Coronation

The Ice Prince & The Queen of Dragons.

_A Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen Fanfiction. _

_Apologies to all fans of the show and the books. An Alternate Deviation from the storyline and a bit spoiler-ish in some parts. This is just my twist on things. Some characters are a bit OOC. And also I didn't really delve much in technicalities especially with regards to the names and roles of minor characters, Geography and places so there's probably many inaccuracies than what was in the books and the show. _

_I wanted to focus on Jon Snow and Daenerys. I really feel that Dany and Jon would make a great couple and would rule the land of Westeros well. And it sucks we never get to see them interact on screen. It's a fluff piece, lots of romance, not much gore, politics and swordfighting. I also included my two other favourite characters to be the main players in Westeros, Catelyn Tully Stark and Tyrion Lannister. Characters not mine but belonging to GRR Martin._

* * *

Kings Landing. 304 AL

It was beautiful, just as she had imagined the Capital would be. The stone walls and towering turrets of golden brown. The water in the harbor shimmering like diamonds in the sun's rays. The streets were lined with people all eager to see their new regent. The House of Targaryen had finally been restored to the Iron Throne. She smiled and greeted her people, waving at them as they threw flowers and cheered. The years of wars and rebellions had been over. Now it will only be peace. Peace, stability and prosperity. That was what she had wanted.

"People of Westeros. I swear to you as your Queen that you will now be safe. There will be food for you and shelter and you will never be treated with cruelty and injustice. This is my oath as your Queen."

Dany then took the thin silver blade with its amethyst encrusted hilt. It was a gift from a powerful Lord. She made a small cut on her palm and showed it to the crowd standing before her. She saw it on their faces. They were meek yet hopeful. Some badly malnourished and others maimed. Bedraggled orphans that huddled close. All eager to see the new Queen that had been crowned.

A truce drawn between the Houses. Daenerys swore not to use her dragons to attack the seven kingdoms as long as they all swore allegiance to her. She would also pardon those who had supported Robert Baratheon's rebellion in exchange for their promise that they will start no such uprisings in the future. The Lords didn't have much of a choice. The three gargantuan dragons have proved to be very persuasive. Everyone was weary of battle. Losing men and fortunes and many had lost their own sons. It was time for peace. A truce even. They had had enough of kings on the Iron Throne, and maybe it was time for a woman to lead.

"Blood of my blood..." She cried to the crowd. "I will love and protect all of you like a mother would her own children..."

There were loud roars heard from coming from the sky. Frightening noises like that of the thunder. Dany smiled as she looked up seeing her three grown dragons flying around in circles. The crowd stared at them, many cowered in fear.

"They will protect you. I swear they will! There is nothing to fear." She spoke.

A voice carried that authority even though its speaker was a diminutive young woman, barely twenty. Her silver blonde hair flowed beautifully and the simple tiara she wore over her head with its purple amethyst gems sparkling like her violet eyes.

The crowd then cheered and shouted with joy. The dragons looked down on the crowd, before each of them landed on the city walls, perched like the guardians of the city that they were. Peace. The time of peace has arrived.

* * *

"Your Grace..."

Dany smiled at the man, standing beside her. She had decided having Tyrion Lannister as an advisor was a prudent decision. She had respected Lord Lannister. He was a wise man. Highly intelligent and Dany felt that Tyrion was a person she could trust. Tyrion Lannister knew politics and it was something that she was rather inexperienced in. He was also the one of the first to give his oath of allegiance, representing all the Lannisters in the land.

"Yes Lord Lannister," Dany spoke.

"The Northerners have arrived in the city," Tyrion spoke.

"Ah Yes..." Dany smiled. "I've been expecting them."

"The House of Stark will give you their allegiance Your Grace and so will the other minor Houses." Tyrion said. "You can be sure of that."

"I am willing to give them autonomy for parts of the North," Dany said. The Lord Lannister stared at her in shock.

"Independence?" Tyrion asked her, his voice croaked.

"Autonomy," Dany said. "There is a difference."

"In return for?" Tyrion inquired further.

"Marriage," Dany replied.

"Your Grace..." Tyrion stuttered. He sounded surprised.

"I need an heir Lord Lannister," Dany sighed. "And from what I have gathered, The Starks are noble, honourable people...Do you not agree?"

"Yes they are..." Tyrion said and looked at her.

"And we need a King who is honourable." Dany continued. She stood up from the Iron Throne that had always felt too cold to her that she had to have it lined with fur. "We owe it to the people."

"Robb Stark is dead Your Grace. Bran is a cripple and Rickon is still a boy..."

"There is another Stark is there not?" Dany asked, her violet eyes looking straight at Tyrion's.

"You mean the bastard..." Tyrion spoke and looked at Dany.

"It is not his fault Lord Lannister..." Dany said, sighing softly. "We have to stop punishing children for their parents' sins."

"Yes. I apologize for that Your Grace."

"I've heard about him," Dany said, smiling at Tyrion. "They call him the Ice Prince."

"He is Lord Commander of the Night's Watchmen." Tyrion responded. "Jon Snow would not pledge allegiance to Stannis Baratheon and was nearly killed for that."

"He's an honourable man." Dany spoke.

"He is your Grace," Tyrion said and gave a nod. "I know the man. Too honourable even. Just like his late father, Eddard Stark."

"And he would be an honourable king," Dany said looking at Tyrion.

"Yes Your Grace..." Tyrion said and then cleared his throat.

"But you have to consider others too your Grace. You will have plenty of suitors. Handsome, strong noblemen from the various Houses. The Houses and their lords will not be pleased that you will have a man of illegitimate birth on the Throne."

"Joffrey Baratheon was illegitimate. His parents were brother and sister as were mine. " Dany argued. "I hardly think the Lords will mind."

"Yes Your Grace and look how that turned out." Tyrion said dryly.

"You worry too much Lord Lannister," Dany said and smiled. "Leave the Lords and their squabbling Houses to me. I have my dragons to deal with them."

"They are very diplomatic creatures My Queen," Tyrion said with a wry smile.

"I trained them well Lord Tyrion." Dany responded back.

* * *

It was a long four days ride to the Capital and Jon Snow didn't know why he was needed there but his sister Arya persuaded him to go. The new Targaryen queen needed to see her people from the North. Jon was reluctant to leave his duties as Lord Commander. He needed to be with his men guarding the Wall.

"We'd finally see the dragons Jon," Arya sounded excited about it. "All three of them. Drogon, Viserion and Rhaegal."

"They say the queen is beautiful," Sansa spoke. "She has silver hair and violet eyes like Targaryens before her."

"What matters is that she is kind," Lady Catelyn Stark said to her children. "It's time for peace now." She looked out of the carriage and brushed her fingers from her eyes.

Jon grew quiet hearing that. He knew Lady Stark never stopped mourning for her husband and son. She escaped the massacre at the Red Wedding, barely alive. Lady Stark had been badly wounded and now walked with a wooden staff. She had a large scar at the side her throat where the Freys had slashed. Arya was almost married to Ramsay Bolton but things changed dramatically when the Targaryen Queen landed on Westeros with her dragons. Alliances changed swiftly as well.

Jon looked out the carriage seeing the city from a far. It looked beautiful. It was his first time visiting, his first time going down South away from the North where he had been raised. Strange that he was going back to the city where he had been born, pledging allegiance to the new Queen.

They were led to the Great Hall. The halls in Red Keep Castle had been refurbished and renovated. The entire city cleaned and decorated. Wreaths of blue roses and the Targaryen banners were mounted everywhere. Black with the red three headed dragons. Arya had kept looking at the sky wanting to see the actual dragons but Lord Tyrion had informed her that they were kept in their underground pens known as dragonpits.

Jon walked behind the three ladies and Rickon. A pageboy had pushed Bran who was placed in a wheelchair. He saw the golden carpet and the pillars of the hall with its golden flowers and dragons. It was grand, beautiful too. He then saw the Iron Throne perched on the pedestal. Strange looking chair that had many kings and lords vying for it. Jon shook his head. He hated absolute power and the backstabbing politics behind it. Countless men died in vain because of that throne. His father and brother among them.

His eyes wandered down and saw a young woman sitting on the steps. Jon felt as if his heart skipped a beat. There was something unearthly about her. The young woman who was probably a lady in waiting to the queen. Ethereally beautiful with long silver, platinum blonde hair. She had worn a long flowing gown of the finest silk chiffon, the color of lightest lavender and a white mink fur wrap over her shoulders. A simple silver tiara graced her head and then Jon knew. She was no ordinary lady in waiting. It was the Queen. The Targaryen Queen.

"Your Majesty..." The master of ceremonies announced.

She immediately stood up and turned to smile at them. Jon looked at her perfect face and saw her deep violet eyes. Everyone knelt before her.

"The House of Stark..." The master of ceremonies continued. "Lady Catelyn Stark, Lady Sansa Stark, Lady Arya Stark, Lord Bran Stark, Lord Rickon Stark and Lord Commander of the Night's Watchmen, Jon Snow."

"Welcome," The Queen said with a sweet smile. Jon watched her as she moved towards them. Her face so radiant he was mesmerized for a while.

"Your Grace..." Lady Catelyn Stark walked towards her, moving slowly with her wooden staff and the queen held out her hand. Lady Catelyn bent and kissed her ring.

"The North pledges allegiance to you and your House." Lady Catelyn spoke.

"I thank you for your presence my Lady Stark," The Queen smiled. "There is much for us to discuss..."

She sat on the Iron Throne and signalled her guards. They moved in quickly carrying with them chairs. Lovely velvet upholstered chairs for her guests.

"Please sit Lady Stark..." The Queen gestured.

"Yes Your Grace..." Lady Catelyn said and looked at the young queen. She looked at her children and all of them sat down.

"I've called you here to offer you a post Lady Stark,"

"You have?" Lady Catelyn was surprised. She then looked at Jon who was surprised as well.

"I would like for you to stay here in Kings Landing and with Lord Tyrion be my hand. The Hand of the Queen..."

"Your Grace..." Lady Catelyn was shocked by the proposal. It was rather unexpected.

"I will need your wisdom and guidance Lady Stark. As you know, a woman has never been on the Iron Throne before and I feel that having a woman advisor with such background as yours will serve me well..."

"But what about Lord Tyrion," Lady Catelyn stuttered and looked at Lord Tyrion who gave a quick smile and a nod.

"He will still be here. Be Hand of the King..." The Queen replied. "My husband's Hand."

"You are married your Grace?" Lady Catelyn asked, astounded to hear it.

"I will soon," The Queen replied. "Another reason to why I've asked you to come here..."

Lady Catelyn stared at the Queen wondering where she was going with this.

"I would like it very much for both our houses to merge. North and South. Fire and Ice."

"You mean marriage to the House of Stark?" Lady Catelyn questioned , her voice stumbling.

"In return The North will gain autonomy." The Queen told her. "My husband will rule Westeros beside me and be crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms."

"And who among my two surviving sons will you pick?" Lady Catelyn asked the Queen.

The young regent smiled and Lady Catelyn followed her gaze that seemed to linger on Jon Snow. _The Bastard, _Catelyn thought. The Queen would choose Jon Snow. Lady Stark didn't know what to make of it. _Jon Snow ruling the whole of Westeros?_

* * *

"NO!" Jon cried while he was in one of the guest bed chambers in the palace. Catelyn Stark and him were having a rather heated discussion.

"Jon listen carefully..." Catelyn said in a soft voice. "This is an opportunity..."

"I beg your pardon Lady Stark," Jon spoke and looked straight into Catelyn's eyes. "I will not marry her. I do not want this _opportunity_." He said bitterly.

"It is your duty Jon," Catelyn told him, her voice had suddenly grown cold. "To the Starks, to your late Father and brother. Ned has always served Westeros with honor and now it falls to you. The Queen has chosen. I do not know the reasons for her choice but we must honor it."

"I serve the Queen by defending the Wall, by defending the whole kingdoms from what lies beyond. I have a duty to my men My Lady, a duty my Father had bequeathed to me." Jon said in an impassioned voice.

"Your duty lies to the Queen first..."

Both Catelyn and Jon turned to see who it was that had spoken. Tyrion Lannister gave a smile and walked in much to Catelyn's chagrin. Tyrion came inside her guest chambers uninvited and unannounced. Tyrion stared at the brooding young man and sighed.

"Oh...wipe that frown of your face, Lord Snow. You will be king soon and an unhappy king is not always a good king..." Tyrion spoke with his usual light hearted candour. He smiled at both of them.

"I should know...I've known many kings. Vicious kings and idiot kings and even a vicious, idiot king."

He then sat down on a settee and looked at Catelyn and Jon.

"Lady Stark is right. This is a wonderful opportunity. The Starks will finally have some power in the North. Legitimate power and you Jon Snow, you will rule the Seven Kingdoms."

"I do not want it." Jon spoke flatly and looked away. "I never have." He then gave a groan and walked towards the balcony. He looked out seeing the lighthouse and the harbour.

"I know nothing of this business of Kings. I am just a watchman!" Jon cried in frustration.

"That is true," Tyrion said with a nod. "That is why you have me. I will be there for you and advise you as best I could."

"I have my men to look out for." Jon argued thinking of the men in the Night's Watch that he was responsible for. "I owe my life to them."

"As king you will have the honor of naming your replacement as Lord Commander. In fact you can even make some of your most loyal men members of the Kings' Guards." Tyrion said and gave a grin. "Whose sole duty is to protect you."

"Think about this Jon," Catelyn said and looked at him. "Autonomy for the North. Robb would have wanted that."

Jon looked at Catelyn and gave a sad sigh. He thought of his dead half brother. Robb had fought bravely for the North's independence. He was betrayed while attending a wedding at the Twins.

Catelyn then had her eyes on Tyrion. Her eyes had hardened and turned cold. "What about justice for my son's murder?"

"I have punished all the Lannisters who were involved Lady Stark. You know that." Tyrion replied.

"And the Freys, the Spicers and the Boltons?" Catelyn asked.

"They have sworn allegiance to the Queen and she has pardoned them..." Tyrion said and hesitated. He then looked at Jon Snow. "However...should Jon ever be King and rule beside her. He can make other arrangements..."

Catelyn seemed satisfied by the answer and gave a nod. She then looked at Jon. "The choice is yours I cannot force you...Sometimes sacrifices are needed to be made for the good of all... Your father believed in that."

"It's not so bad is it?" Tyrion asked Jon. "I mean the Queen is very beautiful. Not a bad choice for a wife."

"It's not about the Queen..." Jon heaved.

"She chose you Jon Snow because she thinks you are honorable and that you would be a good king. Do not disappoint her," Tyrion said to him, it almost sounded like a warning. "That girl has been through the worst hell..."

"Haven't we all..." Catelyn sighed sadly.

* * *

A grand banquet was held that night, part of the long hundred days festivities to celebrate the coronation of the Queen and the peace treaty marking the end of wars and uprising. Jon wasn't much for social events and being ever his solitary self, he found a quiet spot in one of the many balconies of the grand palace and stared out seeing the lights from the city below and harbour and the lighthouse in the distant. Jon had a chalice of wine in his hand and he sipped some of it. He had been thinking hard about the Queen's proposal. He would be King of Westeros. He, Jon Snow, the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark would be king.

_The gods must be laughing... _Jon thought to himself. It seemed like a joke to him. _What do you think Love?_ He asked quietly as he looked at stars in the dark sky, thinking of Ygritte, looking down from the heavens._ I might be king soon..._

"Lord Snow..."

Jon turned around when he heard that soft feminine voice that called him. He was shocked to see the Queen there, dressed in her sheer, gossamer like, pink gown made of finely weaved iridescent silk.

"Your Grace." He greeted her solemnly and bowed his head.

"I was wondering where you went," The Queen smiled. She then looked at Jon and he felt self conscious seeing the way her violet eyes seemed to gaze at him.

"You do not like banquets and merriment Lord Snow?" The queen asked him.

"I prefer the solitude Your Grace," He answered in a rather gruff tone.

"I do too," The Queen sighed. She moved forward and stood beside him, her hand on the balcony's stone railing. "It takes quite a while to get used to. Being Queen..."

"You make a fine queen," Jon said. The Queen looked at him and gave a sweet smile, one he returned.

"Everyone says that you are kind and just. You have a good heart," Jon spoke, feeling uneasy that she was so close to him. He could smell flowers around her. Peonies, lilacs and roses that permeated the night air.

"A queen needs her king Lord Snow..." The Queen said and looked at him.

"I'm sure there are many others for your Grace to consider..." Jon said hurriedly. "Better qualified men." He was surprised when he felt her touching his hand.

"That is why it must be you..." The Queen said, looking deeply into his eyes. "Someone pure of heart and noble. Someone who doesn't covet power and the treachery it brings..."

"I do not know if I am the right one for you..." Jon spoke.

"I promise that I will be a good wife..." The Queen said and Jon just stared at her shocked when she knelt before him. "That I will be faithful and loyal and I will be a good mother to our children, future heirs to the Iron Throne."

"Your Grace, don't..." Jon cried as he bent down to lift her up, both his hands gripping her small shoulders. He didn't want the Queen of Westeros to kneel before him.

"Have you ever been married?" The Queen asked him.

"No," Jon replied.

"I've been married twice." She told him. The Queen sounded sad as she looked away, her eyes seemed distant.

"My brother married me off to my first husband because he needed an army...and then I married another because I needed security..." She then looked back at Jon. "I am not a maid Lord Snow. I know this is not ideal to you, especially with regards to the Northern culture of a Lord having a maid as his bride."

"Your Grace...it doesn't matter..." Jon said and gave soft sigh. "I am not a maid myself." He said and hearing that The Queen gave a giggle.

"Do you find it funny?" He asked her and chuckled as well.

"Of course you are not a maid Lord Snow..." The Queen replied. "You are a man..."

She was laughing softly and Jon laughed as well. He smiled at her. She was so beautiful, maybe she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Jon then took her hand and her giggles stopped. The Queen looked at him and he knelt down before her. "It would be my greatest honor Your Grace if you would be my wife,"

The Queen smiled at him and Jon kissed her ring. "Lord Snow. It would make me very happy..."

Jon then slowly stood up and the Queen still held his hand and pulled him close. He wondered what was wrong. "Your Grace?"

"Would you permit me to kiss you Lord Snow? Since we're now engaged?" The Queen asked him which surprised Jon.

"Uh..." He hesitated and stared at the beautiful queen. His betrothed. "I suppose..." Jon spoke rather awkwardly.

The Queen smiled and Jon offered his cheek. He was even more surprised when she kissed his lips instead. Soft, pliant, pillow lips grazed his. The Queen pulled away and stared at him. Her beguiling violet eyes seemed mesmerizing. He could smell the scent of flowers around her and her lips, how perfect they looked. He didn't know what hit him but he pulled her in his arms and kissed her deeply. The kiss grew passionate and Jon's felt her nibbling his lips and her tongue that snaked into his mouth. He groaned and kissed her back, his strong arms wrapping her petite, lithe form.

The Queen pulled her lips away and Jon breathed heavily, suddenly afraid he might overstep his bounds. She had a small smirk on her face.

"I guess the Ice Prince is not so cold after all..." She said wistfully.

* * *

"Rise and Shine!"

Jon woke up with a jolt. Someone had barged into his bedchamber. Several people in fact. The curtains were drawn so suddenly that bright light was let in. Jon sat up on his bed, shocked to find Tyrion Lannister in his bedchamber along with several armoured guards and about six maids and seven manservants.

"Chop chop. Kings do not sleep way after nine in the morning," Tyrion said in his sardonic tone.

"What is going on Lord Lannister?" Jon asked as he scrambled to find his breeches. He did not appreciate the sudden intrusion.

"We have lots to do today Your Grace..." Tyrion spoke as Jon wore his pants.

"I'm not king yet..." Jon whispered. He looked around and saw that the servants were bringing in clothes and one had a shaving kit with him. The guards stood there, still as statues.

"You will be soon and there is much work to be done..." Tyrion spoke. He then sniffed and looked at Jon.

"First you need a bath..." Tyrion said and scrunched his nose in disgust. "We can't have a smelly King."

"I am not King..."Jon argued. He pushed the manservant who tried to lather shaving cream on his jaw away.

"Soon..."

"Milord..." One of the maids spoke.

"Yes..." Tyrion answered.

"The Queen wishes for Lord Snow to join her in her bath..."

"Her what?" Jon stared at the maid in disbelief.

"The Queen will be drawing her bath soon and she wishes for Lord Snow to join her..." The maid said blushing red.

"Those are her orders?" Tyrion's eyes went wide as he looked at the maid who nodded.

"Well," Tyrion heaved and looked at Jon who still looked shell shocked at the request. "Can't have the Queen waiting now can we?"

"I can't do that!" Jon cried.

"Those are her orders..." Tyrion said looking at him nonplussed.

* * *

He didn't know what to expect when he was led to the Queen's private chambers which was in the South Wing of the palace. The security was tighter there. Jon saw many armed guards standing watch and patrolling the area. He walked down the hallway with guards flanking both sides of him. All dressed in the bronze armour, the Targaryen dragon crest on their plates and shields. They stopped at a solid oak and iron door and it was opened. The ladies in waiting ushered Jon in while the guards stood outside.

"Lord Snow..."

He walked in there she was inside the large square shaped pool.

"Your Grace..." He bowed.

"Please Lord Snow, join me..." the Queen beckoned and Jon swallowed a gulp.

Her voice sounded so soft and seductive to him. She was in the pool washing herself. Jon took off his tunic and walked towards the pool. He then walked down the steps still in his leather breeches.

"I think you should take off your breeches Lord Snow..." The Queen said with a flirty smile. "How would you clean yourself?"

Jon winced and pulled his breeches down and immediately covered his manhood as he waded in the pool. The Queen was smiling at him.

"Do you find the water too hot?" The Queen asked him.

"It's alright," He answered. The Queen started to lather herself with soap.

"My maids always find it too hot...But it must be the dragon blood in me," The Queen said nonchalantly. She then gave a surreptitious smile to Jon.

"Maybe you have some dragon blood in you too?" She asked teasingly.

"I don't think so..." Jon shrugged. "But I'm from the North. We Northerners are build strong Your Grace..."

"Dany..." The Queen said with another of her sweet smiles.

"Dany?" Jon asked her, looking lost.

"Call me Dany," She told him. "That is my name Lord Snow. Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen. We are to be married. We should be less formal with each other," She said with a grin. "Especially with no one around."

"Oh..." Jon uttered and looked around. It was only the both of them. The maids had left the room.

"Then you can call me Jon Your Grace," Jon said with a smile.

"Dany..." She corrected him.

"Dany..." Jon uttered.

"You are very handsome Jon," The Queen or Dany spoke, looking at him. Jon felt uncomfortable by her gaze and coughed.

"And you are very beautiful Dany," He said. He hoped he didn't sound too awkward because he really meant what he said. She was very beautiful.

"Good." Dany smiled. "We'll have beautiful children."

"I suppose we will..." Jon nodded in agreement. Dany laughed softly and moved towards him, till she was right in front of him. Jon breathed in deeply seeing the beauty that was before him. Her silver blonde hair and violet eyes and her full pink lips that pouted.

"How many do you want?" Dany whispered as she moved closer and nuzzled his nose.

"Huh?" Jon asked, feeling so giddy her close proximity.

"Children Jon?" She smiled and kissed his lips. "How many children do you want?"

He smiled and kissed her more, returning her kisses with his own as he wrapped his arms around her naked waist. "As many as you like Your Grace..."

"Dany..." She whispered in his ear.

"Dany..." He called her name softly. She giggled and kissed him again, more passionate, wet kisses. "Maybe we should start Lord Snow..." She whispered again and nibbled his lips. "Now."

"Start?" Jon was confused and looked at her.

"On making our children..." Dany told him gently.

"Are you sure?" Jon asked her, his dark eyes searched hers and The Queen nodded. He stared at her for a while and moved away from her

"I have offered myself to you Lord Snow and yet you do not want to take me?" The Queen asked shocked that he was walking away from her.

"I have to love you first..." Jon said as he took his breeches and put them on.

"What do you mean?" The Queen was alarmed when she realized he was leaving. She immediately rose. Naked before him.

"I can't make love to you until I love you Your Grace..."

"So you don't love me?" The Queen stammered. Jon took her velvet and damask cloak and covered her with it.

"I'm very attracted to you. I'm a man and I won't deny that. But I cannot take you to bed until I've taken your heart..."

"I don't understand..." The Queen said softly.

"I have to court you Your Grace," Jon smiled. "That is the custom where I'm from. If a man chooses a wife, he would need to court her first. My father had said that. That is the proper way. And you're going to be my wife..."

Jon smiled charmingly as he took her hand and kissed it, letting it caress his face.

"If you'll still have me..." The Queen sighed.

* * *

"He wants to court me..." Dany announced as she stormed into Tyrion's apartment in the Tower of the Hand in a flurry.

"I've offered myself to him and he would not have it!" Dany sounded furious. Tyrion gave a small smile.

"Well he is an honorable man." Tyrion said wryly. "That was what you wanted wasn't it?" He asked almost taunting the queen. Tyrion then sipped his wine as Dany screamed.

"I need heirs Lord Tyrion! Heirs!" Dany cried and sat down in anger as she banged thedining table.

"Ah Yes. The infamous dragon Targaryen temper has finally arisen," Tyrion quipped. Dany only glared at him.

"My position here is not cemented until I have an heir...I will not have them think me barren!" Dany gritted. "The noble Houses are still a threat to me."

"Or you could just burn them all down with your dragons Your Grace. And have that threat gone once and for all." Tyrion suggested tongue in cheek.

"I gave them my word," Dany huffed and folded her arms as she leaned back on the chair.

"You are a Queen. Queens can always go back on their words. Ask my sister about that..." Tyrion added with a roll of his eyes.

"Where is she by the way?" Dany demanded. Last she heard of Cersei Lannister, the former Queen had been banished to the west.

"She's with Jaime, living in an old estate in the Westerlands that belonged to my family," Tyrion said. "A simple life in the country should cure Cersei of her ills."

"You pardoned her?" Dany stared at Tyrion, who shrugged. "She's family Your Grace...Family is always forgivable."

Dany stared coldly at him and shook her head. "I had my brother killed."

"We can't all be like you now can we?" Tyrion smiled. "There is only one Daenerys Stormborn."

"What do we do about Jon Snow?" Dany asked her most trusted advisor after she had calmed down.

"You came on too strongly Your Grace," Tyrion told her. "A woman should be elusive, a mystery. Let him be the one to chase you. Men like to hunt and women should be like a deer..."

"I am not Prey Lord Tyrion!" Dany bellowed. "I am Queen. I should be the one hunting. He should succumb to me."

Tyrion then let out an exasperated sigh. "You Targaryens and your conquests..."

Dany stared daggers at him. Tyrion gave a warm smile. "He is a Stark. A Northerner Your Grace. They are very passionate people often bound by duty, honor and pride. Lots of it. Cold Northern pride much like their weather..."

"Do you think he will learn to love me?" Dany asked, her voice had gotten soft, vulnerable even.

"He would be a fool not to," Tyrion said softly and held the Queen's cheek.

"Let him fall in love with you Dany, like how the people fell in love with you. He will see you for who you truly are. Someone strong, kind and pure hearted. Someone like him."

Dany smiled at Tyrion and bent to kiss his forehead. "You are a good Hand of the King Lord Tyrion."

"I try my best Your Grace," Tyrion said with a wink.

* * *

"You need to marry her as soon as possible." Catelyn spoke as she paced about in her guest chamber. Jon was seated in the room, his direwolf, Ghost next to him.

"I don't see why we need to rush..." Jon spoke as he patted Ghost and scratched the wolf's neck.

"The Queen needs an heir Jon," Catelyn said urgently. "She needs to conceive and produce heirs. Male heirs to secure the line. The North will grow in strength once a crown prince is born. One with Stark blood." Catelyn then looked at Jon Snow and sighed.

"I know I've never been warm or kind towards you..." She said and took his hand holding it. "I admit I have treated you unfairly..."

"Lady Stark..." Jon started and looked at Catelyn.

"It was cruel of me..." Catelyn said and looked sad. "I realized now how I have erred. I was hurt when Ned brought you home as a babe. He said you were his son. Robb was only a few years old. Ned insisted that you live with us and I tried my best to endure..."

Catelyn suddenly burst into tears and Jon looked at her, shocked by it. "I love my husband very much Jon. You must know that. It just hurt me seeing you, reminded me that he loved another."

"Lady Stark Please..." Jon spoke and held her arms. "It's alright."

"Now you have a chance to defend the North like never before. To avenge Ned and Robb...To make sure no harm ever comes to Sansa and Arya, Bran and Rickon ever again."

Catelyn tightened her grip on Jon's hand. "This is all I ask of you Jon. To be dutiful to your family."

* * *

Jon was walking in Red Keep's palace's grand courtyard with Ghost next to him. He looked ahead and saw the Queen walking with her entourage of Queen's guards and ladies in waiting. He smiled seeing. The Queen smiled back and Jon started to walk faster almost jogging to her with Ghost next to him. The direwolf barked and Jon watched as Ghost headed to The Queen. She bent and patted him.

"Who is this?" The Queen asked, excited to meet a direwolf.

"This is Ghost," Jon said with a smile. "He's my wolf..."

"He's beautiful," The Queen said in amazement as she scratched Ghost's furry head. "Such beautiful white fur."

"He's a runt actually," Jon said and kissed his wolf's head. "A loyal runt."

"He loves you," The Queen commented seeing Ghost licking Jon's face. Jon laughed and played with Ghost. He then took a small ball from his pocket and threw it away. Ghost ran off to catch it. Jon then looked at The Queen and took her hand.

"Will you walk with me Your Grace?" He asked her, his dark eyes looking straight into her violet ones.

"Of course Lord Snow..." She said with a nod letting him take her hand as they walked in the courtyard.

* * *

"Lord Tyrion thinks I've been too forward with you," Dany whispered as Jon held her arm, linking it with his while they walked in the palace's gardens. She laughed softly and Jon looked at her, those brooding dark eyes that she had liked staring right at hers.

"He has?" Jon asked and Dany nodded.

"He thinks I should let you chase me..." Dany muttered. She just gave a sigh and looked at Jon. He looked so handsome. That was what she had thought. Tall, dark and handsome, with his mane of black curls and his dark eyes that always seemed so sad and haunting to her.

"That I should be elusive and mysterious..."

"And what do you think Your Grace?" Jon asked her.

"Dany..." She whispered. He only smiled. She liked seeing it. He smiled so rarely. Always a melancholy figure.

"I think that I'm Queen and maybe as Queen I'd like it for you to take me..." She whispered.

"Take you?" Jon questioned and Dany rolled her eyes, somehow knowing he was pretending not to know.

"I want you Lord Snow..." Dany told him and pulled him close.

"Surely you know that. All my life, I've been subjected by the whims of men and being pawned for what they want. My brother, my husbands. I do not want to be that weak woman anymore. I am not that woman."

"Of course you're not Your Grace..." Jon interrupted her. "You are Queen."

"The first time I dreamed of you..." Dany spoke dreamily.

"Seeing you among the snow in your black watchman uniform. I wanted you. I never wanted anything so much in my life." She then paused. "Other than the Iron Throne and my dragons of course."

"You dreamed of me?" Jon stared at her, a shocked expression on his face.

Dany nodded and held him. "I dreamed of you for the past two years Lord Snow. That's why I asked for you."

"How is that possible?" Jon asked her, looking at her face closely.

"I don't know..." Dany sighed. "My dead brother Rhaegar said something of the dragons needing three heads and then there were the blue roses on the wall of ice...I didn't know what it meant. When I came to King's Landing with my dragons, I asked for blue roses..."

Dany and Jon looked around seeing the blue rose bushes in the garden. "They're everywhere..." Jon said and smiled at her.

"I know," Dany said. "They grew them here for Rhaegar before the Rebellion. They said my brother loved blue roses. He wanted them grown for his Beloved."

She smiled brightly at him and wrapped her arms around him. "Can't you see Jon? You already have my heart, even long before we've met."

"Dany..." Jon sighed as he embraced her. "Let's get married as soon as we can."

* * *

Catelyn watched as the High Septon performed the ceremony in Great Sept of Baelor. Jon and Daenerys were now man and wife. They had exchanged vows and rings and pledged before the flame. The Queen then took the black crown once belonging to her father, Aerys Targaryen II, otherwise known as the Mad King and placed it on Jon's head.

"I crown thee Jon, King of Westeros and of the Seven Kingdoms. All hail the King Jon." The Queen announced. She smiled as she looked at her new husband and kissed his lips.

Jon smiled back at the Queen and took the sceptre that was handed to him. He looked rather inscrutable as he stood before the crowd of nobles standing before him, unaware of the power he now wield. Catelyn sighed softly. _What would the boy know of power? What would he even do with it? _Jon was very much like Ned, she had thought. Honorable, fiercely loyal, strong and silent. Someone not suited for the game of thrones played so viciously by many. He wasn't raised to be a Lord much less a King.

Catelyn then gazed at the queen. The young Targaryen queen, only a few months short of twenty. _Where would she be without her dragons?_ The royal couple was too young, too innocent even. That was what Tyrion had told her and Catelyn agreed. The queen was still a little naive. A stranger in the land she now ruled. She knew nothing of Westeros politics. Catelyn knew Jon was the same as well. What a match they both made, the beautiful, young but ignorant pair.

Catelyn then looked at the nobles who were present in court. The Freys, Tyrells, Martells. The Lannisters with Jaime in court, Cersei not attending of course, after being banished from the Capital for the rest of her life. Jaime gave a quick nod to her and Catelyn only ignored. She saw his missing right hand. Her eyes fell back on the Freys seated next to the Tyrells and the Boltons. Her enemies. The ones that had slaughtered her son and almost had her killed.

The men they had massacred three thousand five hundred of Robb's bannermen. Robb's body mutilated. They had beheaded Robb and placed the head of his beloved direwolf, Grey Wind. It was all a joke to The Freys and it was unforgivable to Catelyn. She would have her revenge. Catelyn was sure of it. She was Hand of the Queen, Stepmother to the new King. She will ensure that the House of Stark will be the most powerful in all Seven Kingdoms and punish those who had betrayed the Starks in the worst possible way.


	2. Chapter 2 Return to Winterfell

Chapter Two

"Husband..." Dany smiled as she stretched herself in bed, the King beside her. It had been two weeks since they were wed and Jon crowned the King of Westeros and its Seven Kingdoms.

"Good morning Wife," Jon smiled back at her and pulled her close, kissing her lips softly. The kiss deepened and Dany moaned in pleasure. She couldn't remember when was the last time she felt so happy, content and loved.

"I think we've finally made our child..." Dany said and held her abdomen. She looked at him and bit her bottom lip before smiling. "Last night..."

"Are you sure?" Jon asked her as he cuddled close to her. Dany nodded.

"I had a dream," Dany told him. "We'll have twins My Love. A boy and a girl. With your dark hair and my violet eyes..."

"It's strange isn't it? Having Targaryen children with dark hair..." Jon said, stifling a yawn as he lied there on the soft bed holding her close as she rested her head on his wide chest.

"Won't be the first..." Dany muttered.

"What is it?" Jon asked her, he didn't catch what she had just said. Dany then looked at him and shook her head. "Nothing Darling." She smiled and kissed his lips again.

"We should get up soon, there's a meeting with the small council," Dany said. Jon only groaned and covered his face with a pillow. Dany smiled and took the pillow away. She pulled Jon up from the bed. He sighed and sat up, Dany leaning against him.

"We should have a longer honeymoon," Jon spoke as he kissed her forehead. "I want to bring you to the North. You'll see the true beauty of Westeros there...rolling hills and rugged landscapes," He said softly and caressed her cheek.

"We can still go there My Love..." Dany smiled and kissed his lips. "We'll postpone the meeting."

"We can?" Jon's eyes widened in surprise and kissed Dany more.

"We are King and Queen Jon," Dany told him and pushed him down on the bed. "We can do anything we want," Dany whispered before leaning down and kissed him.

* * *

"Where are the Royal majesties?" Catelyn asked when she walked into Tyrion's office, her wooden staff in hand. "I've searched for them everywhere."

"They've flown away," He said and gave her a smile.

"They've what?" Catelyn stared at Tyrion incredulously as she leaned on her wooden staff. It just seemed so odd to her. There was to be Small Council meeting later.

"They're taking a ride on her dragons..." Tyrion explained. Catelyn was still shell shocked. "Riding Dragons?"

"Yes." Tyrion uttered. "The Queen's children as she calls them. She's bringing them up north with the new King, where they'll be gracing their Northern subjects with their royal presence."

"And you think this is wise Lord Tyrion?" Catelyn asked as she sat down on a leather armchair.

Tyrion gave a shrug. "They never sought my counsel Lady Stark...Young lovers as you know...a reckless and impetuous lot."

"The farmers and peasants will be scared off their wits," Catelyn commented as she let out a shuddering sigh. "Dragons flying in the sky..." She shook her head in disbelief. "This is madness..."

"Well she is a Targaryen..." Tyrion added casually and sipped his wine. "Madness is in the blood, as they say."

"And they're both alone?" Catelyn asked. "With no guards?" Her tone had gotten anxious as she looked at Tyrion. Catelyn didn't think it wise for the royal couple to travel without the proper protection of the King's Guards.

"Three large dragons would suffice enough I think," Tyrion smiled at Catelyn. "They have all the protection they would ever need."

* * *

_Winterfell_

The Dragons landed outside the castle's gates. Jon came down, still dizzy from the flight. He nudged Ghost down. The direwolf looked like he too was trembling. It felt so surreal to Jon, riding dragons and looking down seeing the entire landmass of Westeros beneath him. Dany had assured Jon that it would be safe. Her dragons were well trained. Jon looked at Viserion, the dragon he had ridden while Dany rode on Drogon, Rhaegal flying behind them. He smiled at Viserion and patted the dragon's scaly snout lightly.

"Are you alright?" Dany asked him as she walked towards him. Jon smiled at his wife. Dany was wearing a thick silvery white mink coat, almost the same shade as her hair. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her lips.

"We're back home..." Jon told her, his arm around her. It almost felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders now that he was back home. Back in Winterfell, in the North where he belonged

The gates of the castle was opened and Ser Carrick, the new guardian of Winterfell greeted Jon and Dany.

"Your Majesties," Ser Carrick bowed. The large servant staff of the castle came out and bowed as well.

"Ser Carrick," Jon smiled and pulled the man in for a hug. "It has been a while."

"I received a raven from Lord Tyrion Your Grace and one from Lady Stark as well. They said that you and the Queen..." Ser Carrick said and glanced at Dany "Might come here...We've prepared the castle in a hurry for your arrival and my humblest apologies Your Majesties if it isn't up to what you're used to."

"There's no need for such trouble," Dany said with a gracious smile. "I'm sure we'd be comfortable with whatever you have."

Ser Carrick heard the roars of the dragons and gulped in fear seeing the three gigartuan creatures on the field, right at the castle's doorstep. "The Dragons Your Grace?"

"Oh Yes..." Dany uttered and looked at Jon. "They would need food, cattle and sheep. Pigs even. A lot of it..." Dany said with a sheepish smile.

"Of course..." Ser Carrick said an signalled to one of his men, "Get as much sheep and cattle as you can." He ordered. Ser Carrick then brought the King and Queen into Winterfell castle.

"We've had the King's room ready for you Your Grace," Ser Carrick spoke to the King.

"No.." Jon shook his head. "I would prefer to be in my old room." He then looked at Dany. "Would that be alright with you?"

"Of course," Dany said and held Jon's arms. "Whatever my husband prefers," She smiled sweetly.

* * *

They were lying in each other's arms again right in front of the fireplace, on top of furs, naked and sated and very much in love. Jon smiled seeing the firelight that seemed to make Dany's violet eyes looked even brighter. She smiled back at him and he kissed her lips again, soft, sweet and slow. Dany shivered and Jon wrapped her closer to him.

"You're cold?" He asked her. She nodded and snuggled close letting the heat from his body warmed her more. "I'm always cold. The climate in Westeros is so much colder than it is in the lands where I grew up."

"What is it like?" Jon asked her. "The East."

"Warm," Dany smiled. "Hot and sunny, dry at times, most of the times. Our garments are thin, sometimes the men don't wear shirts at all. Women too. It's like summer all year round."

"It's always winter here," Jon said, he could hear the cold winds howling. "That's the Stark family motto, 'Winter is Coming.'"

"Fire and Blood," Dany said. "That's the Targaryen's."

"They had a name for you didn't they?" Jon asked as his fingers ran through the strands of her silver blonde hair. "The horse people."

"The Dothraki. They are my people too," Dany smiled. "They called me_ Khaleesi_..."

"_Khaleesi_..." Jon repeated after her.

"Yes." Dany nodded, laughing softly hearing it spoken by Jon sounded odd. "It means Queen."

"Do you miss your life there?" Jon asked her. He was curious of her past.

"I do." Dany said softly. "But I know my destiny is here. To rules Westeros with you."

Jon chuckled softly at that. "Me ruling Westeros? The boys at the Night's Watch probably laughed their knickers off when they heard that."

"You are meant to be King Your Grace," Dany said with a cheeky smile. "You are even tempered and honorable..."

"I'm too distant..." Jon said. He then gave a shrug. "A hermit. At least that's what Robb used to say. I am not a man of the people."

"What matters is that you are a good man and you will be a good king," Dany spoke admirably.

"Are you really going to give the North autonomy?" Jon asked her. Dany nodded. "I gave Lady Stark my word."

He kept quiet and looked pensive for a while. "What is it?" Dany asked him, her eyes searched his.

"It's just...by giving the North some form of independence, won't all the Kingdoms want the same?"

"But the King is from the North Jon," Dany said with a soft smile. "I want all the seven kingdoms to know that...That the seat of power is in King's Landing and in Winterfell."

Jon sighed and leaned his head back on the pillow. "Lady Stark wants revenge on the Freys and the Boltons for the Red Wedding massacre..."

He looked at Dany closely. "They slaughtered my brother and thousands of his bannerman. Lady Stark almost died. The Freys dismembered Robb's body. All we had was his heart to bury."

"What do you want?" Dany asked him.

"I just want peace..." Jon said quietly. "I want us to have a good home. I want to raise a family," He said and smiled at Dany while his palm touched her tummy.

"Who do you trust Jon?" Dany asked him.

"You." He said his dark eyes, looking right into hers. "I trust you. My wife."

"Promise you will never leave. No matter what happens that you will stay with me and our children," Dany spoke. Jon stared at her for a while. "Promise me Jon."

"I promise..." He told her firmly.

"Good..." Dany sighed in relief and she held her husband closer. Jon pressed a firm kiss on her forehead and enveloped Dany to him. She had closed her eyes and fallen to sleep while he stared at the flames of the fireplace.

* * *

_King's Landing_

"Lady Stark," Her maid walked into Catelyn's Hand of the Queen's chambers in the palace.

"Yes.." She spoke as she looked up from the documents on her desk.

"The midwife Milady..." The main spoke.

"Midwife?" Catelyn was shocked by the visitor. Why would a mid wife want an audience with her?

"What is it about?"

"She says it's about the King My Lady." The maid informed her. Catelyn gave a nod and gestured for her maid to bring the mid wife in.

The old woman was frail, dressed in a dark blue cloak. She had hair that was purest white and her eyes blue-gray. She looked at Catelyn and gave a slight bow.

"Are you Lord Eddard Stark's wife?" She asked Catelyn.

"Yes I am. Lord Stark was my husband," Catelyn told the old woman. "You wished to see me Old Lady?"

The old woman gave a sly, secretive smile to Catelyn which she found wary. "Your husband died with a secret, one he thought he took to his grave."

"What secret are you talking about?" Catelyn asked as she glared at the midwife.

"I was there when the Stark girl was in labor," the midwife spoke. "She was surrounded with blue roses. The Prince wanted her to have them while he went out to battle..."

"What Stark girl ?" Catelyn demanded.

"She was bleeding badly..." The old woman spoke and shook her head as she recounted the events that happened more than twenty years ago during The Sacking of King's Landing. "The child was too big for her. We knew she was going to die..."

Catelyn stood there and stared at the old woman as she continued.

"Her brother came for her later while she was lying on the bed. The whole place smelled of blood and roses...The babe we gave to him. I was there when she made him promise her. Promise her to take the boy and raise as his own and protect him from the others..."

"Oh..." Catelyn uttered and covered her mouth. She dropped her wooden staff and sank into her chair. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. _Oh Ned...Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie My Love..._

"The King is no ordinary King Lady Stark. He has Targaryen blood." The midwife spoke, her blue-gray eyes had turned icy as she looked at Catelyn's.

"And The Queen?" Catelyn asked, her voice trailed. She had figured it out in her head who Jon Snow really was and his mysterious heritage.

"She's related to him by blood." The midwife said. "Their children will end up to be like The Mad King. The gods cursed the Targaryens My Lady."

"Lies!" Catelyn cried. She knew she had to stop the spread of such a damning story. "You are lying Old Woman! I will not have you spread such lies!" Catelyn took her wooden staff and banged it on the floor.

"You know that the boy is not your husband's bastard." The midwife told her.

"He is a Stark!" Catelyn told her firmly. Her eyes staring right at the midwife "A Stark! Stark blood runs in his veins."

"From his mother's..." The midwife said. "The other half of him is dragon's blood."

"You will keep this to yourself Old Lady or I swear I will put you in the dungeons and cut your tongue out." Catelyn threatened.

The old midwife bowed and made her leave. Catelyn sat on her chair not knowing what she was going to do with the knowledge of Jon Snow's true heritage. It would devastate Jon if he knew. She closed her eyes as she wept silently for her late husband, knowing then that he had always remains faithful to her and hating herself for ever doubting his love.

* * *

_Winterfell_

Jon brought Dany to the Stark family crypt where generations of Starks were buried. Where his brother's and father's remains were last laid to rest. He stood there and said a prayer. Dany took his hand and held it tight. Jon looked at her and gave a small smile.

"Your Father would have been very proud of you," Dany said. "I wished I could have met him."

"He would have loved you," Jon told her. "He would think you beautiful and graceful, fit to be Queen. "

Dany sighed and stared at the stoned statue of a woman. She looked at the headstone beneath it and then at Jon. "Who was she?"

"Lyanna Stark," Jon replied. "My late aunt."

"She's the one my brother, Rhaegar had kidnapped," Dany said softly when she realized who Lyanna Stark really was. Jon nodded.

"My father said that the prince had fallen in love with her when he saw her at a Tourney in Harrenhall. He was already married and had two children but Lyanna's beauty took his breath away." Jon then gave a sad sigh before continuing

"Rhaegar had her kidnapped and brought her to King's Landing. She was supposed to marry Robert Baratheon. He started a battle to get her back."

"So the Rebellion and the Fall of the House Targaryen was because of one woman..." Dany said slowly and looked at Jon.

"She must have been one special woman." Jon said as he stared at the statue of Lyanna that was right above her grave.

"It's all in the past," Dany said and squeezed Jon's hand. "All of it is gone. Nothing can bring them back. Now we have to think of the future for our children..."

Jon kept quiet and listened. He then looked at his father's grave. "My father once said that History is a poor teacher. Many don't learn from the mistakes of the past and are doomed to repeat it."

"Is that what you're afraid of my Love?" Dany asked him as she gently touched the stubble on his cheek. She smiled, loving the bristles on his jaw and how it felt on her fingertips. She tiptoed an kissed Jon's lips softly.

"I don't want to see anyone that I love die anymore. All these wars and killings. It has to stop." Jon told her. Dany saw the sorrow in his dark eyes and moved to hug him. She sighed and leaned against his warm, wide chest.

"I know Jon and it will stop. We will not let it happen again. No more wars and uprisings. No one will ever harm us or our children."

* * *

_King's Landing_

"Lord Baelish..."

Catelyn greeted her once old friend coldly when he entered her official chambers in the Tower of the Hand. He was dressed in rich damask gold jacket. Catelyn detected with scorn seeing the jewelled medallion Petyr Baelish wore around his neck. He had always been a snivelling, ambitious man and he had risen so far.

"Lady Stark," Littlefinger greeted her with one of his sly grins as he looked around Catelyn's official chambers. "How you have risen from the ashes. Being the Hand of the Queen..."

"I've called you here not for a reunion Lord Baelish," Catelyn said rather curtly, eyes glaring at his.

"And pray what is the reason for this meeting?" Littlefinger asked her.

"I understand you are still Master of the Coin?" Catelyn asked him. Littlefinger gave a nod and scratched his chin.

"Yes rather unfortunate really." Littlefinger spoke flippantly. "The Lannister Queen as you know has a voracious appetite in spending the Crown's coffers. The Treasury almost ran out of coins...Until of course, things changed when Daenerys Targaryen came with her dragons and her ships of treasures from the East..."

"How would you like to go back to Harrenhall?" Catelyn asked him.

"In return for?" Littlefinger asked and looked at her.

"The Freys..." Catelyn spoke, her blue eyes turn cold as ice. "I want their heads. All of them..."

"And does the Queen know?" Littlefinger asked her.

"You will soon find the both the King's and the Queen's seals on the warrants." Catelyn replied quickly.

"Warrants?" Littlefinger looked a little lost.

"Death Warrants for treason against the Crown."

"Against The Starks you mean?" Littlefinger laughed softly.

"In case you haven't notice the son of Eddard Stark is wearing the crown!" Catelyn cried angrily.

"Bastard son Cate," Littlefinger spoke softly and shook his head. "Surely you know how this plays among the Lords and the noble Houses. None are too happy with the choice..."

"They have no choice," Catelyn said and gave a malicious smile. She then frowned at Littlefinger. "And you will not address me so informally Lord Baelish. Am I to be understood?"

Littlefinger looked at her intently and gave a small nod. Her tone was harsh and cold leaving no room for argument or compromise.

"In return for your cooperation, you have my word that all the lands and castles belonging to The Freys will be yours." Catelyn said her eyes narrowed at Littlefinger. "Every single one Lord Baelish."

He looked interested, she could tell seeing the glint in his gray eyes. _A snake will always be a snake, _Catelyn thought bitterly. But this time it was different. She would use the snake as a weapon.

"It appears we have an alliance Lady Stark..." Littlefinger finally spoke after thinking for a while. He gave her a smile but Catelyn never returned it.

Catelyn only smirked. She knew Petyr Baelish too well. He would never let an opportunity to increase his wealth and power go to waste.


	3. Chapter 3 Heirs

Chapter Three.

_The Wall_

It was just as Jon left it. The towering hulk of glacier and stone the Northerners had so simply named The Wall. Snow fall was getting heavier and Jon grew worried for his wife. Dany had insisted to go with him and he had the handmaidens in Winterfell to cover the Queen from head to toe with the thickest furs they could find. It seemed so bulky and heavy on Dany's small form.

She walked close next to him. Jon held her gloved hand tight after they climbed down from Drogon. The men of the Night's Watch were at the foot of the glacier, staring at the new King and Queen, even more so at the large creature they had descended on. Dragons were creatures of myth and none in Westeros had seen one alive in centuries. It was all new to the people. Jon looked at his men seeing the awe and disbelief on their faces. Some had their mouths gaped open.

Drogon roared and lifted off into the sky as he flew away. Jon and Dany turned around watching as the mighty creature flew.

"He doesn't like the cold much," Dany commented and sighed. She knew her _children _weren't big fans of Westeros' cold climes.

"Where is he going?" Jon asked her.

"Probably to feed and fly around the island with his brothers." Dany spoke.

"The island?" Jon asked, lost.

"Dragonstone," Dany smiled as she told Jon. "They like it there. It's warmer than much of Westeros."

"Your Majesties," One of the night watchmen came to greet them. Jon smiled at his old friend, Finn and pulled him for a bear hug.

"Ah look at you Lad," Finn laughed softly at Jon. "King now Eh?"

Finn then pulled away and bowed to the Queen. "Your Grace," His voice turned polite. Dany just smiled at him before laughing softly.

Finn brought Jon and the Queen down to meet the line of Nights Watchmen standing at attention before leading them to the elevator that would bring them up. Dany watched it all in wonder, never seeing a structure build on such a mammoth scale.

"How big is this place?" She asked as she looked down seeing the elevator ascending up. They were high above the ground.

"Stretches 300 miles from Castle Black to Eastwatch by the Sea, standing about 800 feet tall," Jon informed her and smiled. "It was build to fortify the borders, defending the North and the Kingdoms against undesirables..."

"Undesirables?" Dany asked curiously. First she ever heard of it.

"Aye Your Grace," Finn replied. "Enemies from beyond. Wildlings and what have yous," Finn grunted.

Dany shivered. The cold. It was still hard to get used to. Icy winds blowing at her cheeks. Jon saw that she was shivering and pulled her close to him, letting her cuddled close under his fur cloak. Finn saw the gesture and smiled.

"We always knew Our Boy here would find a nice girl and settle down." Finn said and chuckled. "Never thought she'd be a queen though."

Dany only smiled back and huddled closer to Jon. She stared at her husband and smiled cheekily at him. "Well he is a special _Boy_, don't you think so Ser Finn?"

"Ah no. No Sers for me. I'm no Knight Your Grace. Just a simple Watchman." Finn replied.

"Finn..." Jon smiled shaking his head. "You and all the boys will be knighted soon...We've come here to invite you to King's Landing to be part of the King's Guard."

"Are you pissin on me?" Finn asked Jon as he stared at him in disbelief. It felt like a joke to Finn.

"I'm your King Ser Finn," Jon said and gave a serious look. Finn was a little taken a back by it, fearful he might have offended the King.

"Of course you are Your Grace..." Finn replied nervously. "I mean no disrespect Sir..."

Jon laughed and gave a soft punch on Finn's large shoulder. Both men laughed heartily before heading to the Watchmen's quarters. In the Lord Commander's private chamber, Jon quickly built a fire and Dany sat on a cot where Jon used to sleep as she just looked around. The place seemed dark and depressing. It was hard for her to imagine that he had spent years there all alone.

"So you slept here?" She asked as she looked at the single cot. It seemed like a small bed. She wondered how a man as big as Jon would ever be comfortable sleeping in it.

"It's not so bad..." Jon smiled. "Sometimes I take the floor and Ghost gets the bed."

Dany shook her head. "It must be hard for you...being here, away from Winterfell."

Jon took off his gloves, rubbed both his hands over the fire and sighed. He then looked at his wife. "I know it wasn't easy for you too...Being banished from your homelands...and married off to tribespeople...losing your child and husband."

Dany smiled and walked towards him. She found it endearing that he was thinking more about her past sufferings than his own. But that was the kind of man Jon Snow was. Someone who would put others before him. Jon pulled her in his arms and rubbed his hands down her back and arms, shaking her gently while he tried to warm her up.

"Do you think it strange that all these time, while we had our own rough journeys that it would end like this?" Dany asked him. "You and me here."

Jon sighed and gently caressed her cheek. He tilted her chin and stared right into her beautiful violet eyes. "It's all worth it don't you think? It led me to you..."

"Or me to you..." Dany laughed softly. "At least my dreams did..." She then breathed in and looked intently at Jon.

"You loved someone once didn't you?" She asked him.

"Yes..." He nodded sadly. "Her name was Ygritte...She died a few years ago."

"Was she the reason why you were so reluctant to marry?" Dany asked, her eyes never left his.

"I didn't think I could find someone else..." Jon spoke. He then gave a soft smile. "Then I saw you, sitting there on the steps right below the Iron Throne... I thought I've never seen anything so beautiful in all my life."

"You can be charming if you want to Husband," Dany smiled sweetly. Jon pulled her close letting his nose nuzzled hers.

"It's easy to be charming when I have you as a wife," Jon spoke and bent to kiss her. Jon then removed the heavy fur lined cloak she was wearing, letting it drop to the floor. The kiss deepened and Jon suddenly lifted Dany in his arms.

She let out a soft gasp and saw that he had brought her to his cot and placed her gently on the soft mattress. Dany smiled at him and touched his cheek. The stubble had grown almost resembling a beard. Jon had removed his thick fur coat and leather jacket and took off his tunic. She watched seeing how the firelight shone on his body. It was like a wall of carved marble to her. Perfect even with the knife scars at the side of his abdomen.

Jon moved down and kissed her deeply again and Dany wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you..." He whispered in her ear and nibbled it. That made her tingle all over.

"Never leave me..." Dany whispered back. Jon pulled back and stared at her when she say that. His dark eyes smouldered like hot coals and she found herself struck by them.

"I won't." He said solemnly. His tone gotten dark and serious as he looked at her. "I will never leave you."

"Even in death..." Dany said. Jon moved to capture her lips in hot, passion filled kiss that shook her insides.

"We'll die together..." Jon whispered roughly as he removed the remainder of her clothes.

Dany smiled inside as Jon made love to her. She knew they would die together. She could not imagine life without him. It would kill her. She had loved before. Drogo was the Moon of her life. And she had taken many lovers of her own too. But being with Jon. It was different. Almost as if they were destined to be together. Jon who was honorable and refused to take her when many men had and would have if given the opportunity. But not Jon, not until he had her heart. He was her Champion. She knew that. Her King.

If there was one man she would gladly give up the Iron Throne for, it would be Jon Snow. Although Dany knew that Jon had too much honor in him to ever ask that of her. The thought of losing him scared her and she always thought herself fearless. She had the blood of dragons in her and she was made of steel. But this Prince of Ice became her true weak spot. Dany shook her head as she watched Jon slept. _No not her weakness._ He was her strength just as she was his. Together they would be invincible. No one can touch them. No armed battalion from any Westeros noble House. No dark sorcery from any vengeful Magi.

"I love you Jon..." Dany whispered softly and kissed his lips as she snuggled close in his embrace.

Jon stirred for a while and wrapped his arm around her tighter. Even in sleep he wouldn't let her go.

* * *

King's Landing.

The Queen and King had finally returned after a week long absence from their visit to the North. Catelyn was furious by their stunt but she kept her anger in check. She stared at Jon seeing him standing by the Queen, who was seated on top of furs on her Iron Throne.

"You do know the risk you have placed yourself and Her Grace..." Catelyn said, almost chastising the King. Jon gave a nod and looked a little ashamed.

"It was all my idea Lady Stark..." The Queen spoke politely and touched her husband's hand. "The King only went along at my insistence. And I can be very persuasive."

"You had us all worried." Catelyn sighed tiredly. "I insist Your Majesties that you must always travel with the King's and Queen's Guards in the future."

"Yes..." Jon said solemnly and the Queen giggled which made Catelyn stared at her in surprise. She wondered what was so funny.

"I'm sorry..." The Queen laughed softly. "I am so sorry Lady Stark..."

Jon only gave the Queen a dark look, as if signalling her to stop giggling but it appears that she could not help herself. She started laughing more.

"You find the severity of your actions amusing Your Grace?" Catelyn asked the Queen coldly. "The Security of the Crown is of utmost importance. Something could have happened to both of you. All alone without guards and proper security..."

"She's not mocking you Lady Stark..." Jon spoke hurriedly as if apologizing for his wife. The Queen only giggled and laughed more.

"It seems she has contracted the laughter illness from her time at the Wall..." Jon stumbled awkwardly, trying his best to cover for his wife.

"Laughter illness?" Catelyn stared at her stepson, The King in astonishment.

The Queen started to laugh hysterically and Jon immediately lifted her up in his arms.

"Yes Lady Stark, a horrible affliction of madness that had many prisoners in the Wall driven insane..." Jon said.

"Oh my gods..." Catelyn muttered and covered her mouth. She then looked at the palace guards. "Get the royal Physician!" She ordered. Catelyn wondered where Tyrion was.

"And someone please wake Lord Lannister up from his drunken stupor..."

Catelyn shook her head and watched as the King carried the Queen in her arms while she continued laughing her heart out. The Kings' guards flanking the royal couple as Jon brought the Queen to her chambers.

* * *

Dany was still laughing hysterically when Jon brought her to her private chambers in the South Wing of Red Keep's. Dany's handmaidens followed them in. Jon looked at them and grunted. "Leave us please..."

They nodded and left in a skirmish. Jon looked down at his wife in his arms. He didn't know what to do with her. The way she had misbehaved while sitting on the Iron Throne.

"Dany..." Jon whispered as he placed her on the large bed. She continued giggling and covered her mouth, trying her best to steady herself.

"Dany..." Jon urged her. "You almost made Lady Stark furious..."

"Laughter illness..." Dany giggled again. "That was the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

Jon only groaned and shook his head as he sat on the bed. Dany laughed and moved behind him wrapping her arm around Jon's shoulder as she embraced him from behind.

"Oh Sweetheart..." Dany whispered as she kissed Jon's cheek. He seemed a little distant, maybe even annoyed with her.

"It was just in jest Jon." Dany smiled as she tilted Jon's head so she could look at his face. Even while irritated, she thought he looked handsome, almost beautiful, like some knight from those old tales the people would talked about and tell stories to children.

"You know how severe Lady Stark is. She is not someone to be trifled with Dany. What if she gets so furious that she'll leave us and goes back to Winterfell..."

"Is that what you're afraid of? Losing her?" Dany stared at her husband, seeing the worry in his dark eyes.

"I never knew my mother." Jon breathed. "And even though she was never affectionate with me, I respect and revere Lady Stark as I would if she was the same woman who gave birth to me."

"She cares for you, you know." Dany said softly and gently let the back of her hand skim the bristles of his cheek that she had loved so much.

"I can see that. You might not think so Jon and maybe she would never admit it but Lady Stark cares, despite her icy Northern ways. She has a soft spot for you..."

"You think Northerners are icy?" Jon asked and frowned a little, not liking what she had just said.

"Yes..." Dany smiled and kissed her husband's lips. "But I have fire in me to melt your icy heart..."

"That you do my Love..." Jon spoke and returned her kiss with much fervour. There was a knock on the door and the couple abruptly pulled apart.

"Your Grace...the Royal Physician is here..." One of the handmaidens said.

"What?" Dany asked, almost horrified.

"Lady Stark probably called for him," Jon sighed and hugged Dany close.

"But I don't want him to see me..." Dany spoke and looked at Jon.

"It's going to be alright Darling. I'll be here with you..." Jon spoke in soft reassuring tones. Dany nodded and held his hand tight.

"Come in..." Jon commanded.

The door opened and the handmaidens came in with a rather short and stocky man. He was middle aged with a beard and carried a leather bag with him.

"Your Grace." The Physician greeted him and bowed. Jon gave a nod and he came closer.

"Lady Stark tells me that the Queen is unwell..." The Physician spoke as he glanced at Dany.

"I'm quite well actually." Dany told him hugging her husband closer, afraid of having another man touch her, even if it was the royal physician. "I have dragon's blood in me Sir."

"All the same Your Grace, I would like to examine you...just in case. We must take precautions in case it's a plague." The Physician said.

* * *

Catelyn was waiting outside the Queen's chamber, sitting on the upholstered velvet chair. The guards standing still outside when Tyrion hurried towards her, the City Watch guards marching with him.

"The Queen is sick?" Tyrion asked. He looked anxious upon hearing the news.

Catelyn could see it on his face. If the Queen were to fall ill, she knew the Iron Throne would in jeopardy. Its past claimants would see it as an opportunity for another rebellion and war is the last thing anyone in Westeros want.

"Laughing illness.." Catelyn said as she covered her face with worry. "She probably caught the disease from The Wall. What was he thinking? Bringing the Queen to the Wall!" Catelyn banged the floor with her wooden staff in frustration.

"The girl is too small, too frail to be brought there. Did you know that they spent several nights in The Wall?" Catelyn looked at Tyrion.

"It's not so bad..." Tyrion shrugged. "I find my time there to be quite enlightening."

"I am in no mood for jesting Lord Tyrion." Catelyn warned him.

"Now is a good time to jest Lady Stark. It gives some levity in this otherwise dour situation..."

"You Lannisters..." Catelyn said dismissively at Tyrion's witty retorts.

* * *

The door was opened and Catelyn looked up seeing the physician standing there. The man looked at Catelyn and Tyrion and gave a bright beam.

"The Queen is with child..." The physician announced.

"Oh. Thank the gods..." Catelyn said her hand on her heart. She closed her eyes and said a prayer. An heir. An heir to the Iron Throne with Stark blood.

_Targaryen..More Targaryen than Stark._ Her inner voice told her but Catelyn shut it out.

"Oh..." Tyrion uttered, quite taken aback by the news. He then looked at Catelyn seeing the relief on the noblewoman's face.

"I suppose we could extend the coronation festivities to include the news of an heir..." Tyrion suggested.

Catelyn sighed and shook her head, exasperated by Tyrion Lannister. She took her wooden staff and lifted herself up from the chair. Catelyn slowly walked into the Queen's chamber, her staff in hand. She saw the royal couple comfortable in their bed. The Queen was lying in Jon's arms, both of them had joyous smiles on their faces.

Catelyn didn't know why but seeing the royal couple and the genuine love and affection they shared reminded her of the happy times she had with Ned. _It couldn't be something as depraved as incest could it? _She thought, seeing Jon and the Queen. What they had seemed pure, strong and happy. The midwife must have lied. She must have. She was probably a daft, senile fool who didn't know what she was saying.

"Good news to share with the people..." Tyrion suddenly said and the King and Queen looked at him.

Catelyn shook herself out of her thoughts and looked at the small man standing next to her. The Queen suddenly looked worried and Catelyn wondered why. It was a good thing to conceive the heir. A very good thing indeed.

"I want this to be a secret kept only within Red Keep castle..." The Queen spoke as she looked at the King.

"Until the heirs are born of course," The Queen said and held her tummy.

"Heirs?" Both Catelyn and Tyrion repeated.

"Dany thinks we'll be having twins." Jon said with a bright smile.

"I _know_ we are having twins..." The Queen said and pouted only to have her husband holding her cheeks with both hands and kissed her passionately. The sudden affectionate display was so amorous that Catelyn and Tyrion had to look away.

* * *

"Death warrants?" Tryion asked Catelyn while they were seated at the large dining table in his chambers.

She had brought the warrants there for him to sign. Jon had already given her his seal and so did the Queen, it was now left to the Hand of the King.

"Yes. For the Freys and the Boltons and some for the Tyrells." Catelyn answered.

"Isn't it a little too soon?" Tyrion stared at Catelyn who only shook her head. "I've waited a long time Lord Tyrion."

"High treason against the Crown Lady Stark..." Tyrion sighed as he read the warrant. "A bit much don't you think?"

"I know my enemies Lord Tyrion. They will seize any opportunity to strike if they could."

"As do you Lady Stark..." Tryion interrupted sharply. "Using your new position of power to strike them."

"I am doing what I can to protect my family. To protect the Crown." Catelyn cried. "I want justice."

"This is vengeance Lady Stark. Not justice." Tyrion spoke staring right at Catelyn's blue eyes. "There is a difference."

"They are the same!" Catelyn shouted, her anger boiling over.

"We are now in peace times. Such a travesty will send all the other Houses in revolt. The very idea of the new King, the bastard son of Eddard Stark has decided on reprisals for attacks made to his family during times of war. What's to stop him from culling all the Houses if he sees them as a threat to his throne?"

"Do you have a son Lord Tyrion?" Catelyn asked him, her voice heartbroken and wavering. Tyrion saw that she was trembling.

"Not that I know of..." Tyrion replied.

"Then you would never know a mother's loss and sorrow seeing her son lying in agony as an arrow struck him in his heart. You would never know the horror when they took the sword and cut his head off. You would never understand the rage when you could not even bury his body that they had mutilated..."

"I am sorry for your loss Lady Stark, you must know that." Tyrion said quietly. "I've lost people I love too..."

"But not a son!" Catelyn cried in fury, tears raging down her cheeks. "Not the babe that you had carried and gave birth to and raised to be a man. A good, honourable man."

"He was a fine man your son. Robb Stark was a brave man. A warrior in battle, the true King in the North..." Tyrion spoke in a respectful tone as he looked at Catelyn. "He will always be that man Lady Stark. Death will not take that away from him."

"They took him away from me!" Catelyn screamed. "They took my son!"

"And they must pay. I cannot live with this Lord Tyrion! This agony and rage in me that consumes everything inside. The thought of them alive with their own sons, when they should suffer as I have or even worse...Let me have my peace Lord Tyrion. I beg of you."

Tyrion looked at her and breathed. _It needs to end, _He felt, _All of it_. The wars, pain and heartache. He then looked at the warrant before him and then back at Catelyn who was breathing heavily. Tyrion sighed and took his quill, dipping it in the jar of ink before signing his name.

"If it brings you peace Lady Stark..." He said softly, almost sympathizing with the formidable Catelyn Tully Stark of Winterfell.

* * *

They were lying on top of the large fur rug on the terrace outside their royal bedchambers. Dany wanted to sleep beneath the stars and Jon could never refuse her. She lied there staring up at the celestial wonders of night. Jon was making small braids with her long silver hair. He was rather fascinated by the soft iridescent color of her hair.

"What names shall we name them? Our twins?" Dany asked as she turned to look at Jon.

"Eddard or Robb...for the boy," Jon said dreamily.

"After your brother and father..." Dany smiled.

"Or both names. Eddard Robb Targaryen..." Jon said, smiling as he thought the son he would have.

"And Aerysa for the girl," Dany said. "After my father."

"The Mad King." Jon uttered.

"She won't be mad..." Dany said, a peaceful smile on her face. "Our daughter has Stark blood in her. Strong Northern blood that will dilute any remnant of Targaryen madness..."

"I don't think you're mad..." Jon said softly, his finger gently touching her perfect cheekbones.

"Sometimes I think I'm mad." Dany sighed. "I walked into my husband's Drogo's funeral pyre when he died..."

"Why?" Jon asked her, shocked by the revelation. Dany only shrugged. "Out of madness and love..." She said teasingly and stuck her tongue out. Jon laughed softly and kissed her.

"Then I am mad too Wife..." He whispered between kisses. "Madly in love with you..."

"We'll be mad together Husband..." Dany said as she straddled him, her hands on his chest, her lips fused with his and they made love again under the stars.


	4. Chapter 4 Reprisal

Chapter Four.

_Harrenhall_

Petyr Baelish had asked for a meeting for the lords present, a secret meeting to overthrow the Crown. He looked at his long dining table and then at the list of names scribed on the small leather parchment in his hand. There were all there, well almost all of them. The Freys, Roose Bolton and Ser Rolph Spicer.

"Stark bastard on the Iron Throne." Lord Raymund Frey grunted as he chugged down a tin mug of ale and spit some of it out "Damn it to Hell..."

"The Targaryen whore choosing a Stark Bastard..." Walder Frey sneered. "Doesn't surprise me."

"Does the wench really think we'll just sit down and bow to her..." Lothar Frey said.

"She does have her dragons," Littlefinger suddenly spoke and all the Lords looked at him.

"Scary creatures..." Littlefinger continued and shivered.

"Poison those flying rats." Roose Bolton suggested. "And put an end to it."

Everyone laughed at the suggestion and cheered.

"Here! Here!" Rolph Spicer toasted his mug of ale. "To poisoning dragons..."

"If only it was that easy Lord Bolton..." Littlefinger said to Roose Bolton and sighed.

He always thought most of the Boltons to be quite a daft lot. Seeing the snivelling Freys didn't bring him much relief either. Littlefinger smiled to himself. It would be an easy task indeed to get rid of them all

"You called us for a meeting..." Raymund Frey spoke, looking at Littlefinger

"Yes..." Littlefinger replied, smiling brightly as he held out his arms. "And you're all here."

"So do we have a plan or not?" Roose Bolton asked.

He was getting impatient with all the talk. Lord Bolton was not happy to be stripped of his position as Warden of the North. A coveted position the Bastard Stark King had saw fit to bestow upon his younger half brother Rickon once the boy comes of age. It was humiliating to Roose Bolton. Having his prized position given to the young boy.

"Get rid of the Stark Bastard from the throne!" Walder Frey yelled and they all cheered.

"It is a treasonous act," Littlefinger said and all the lords looked at him. They didn't seem to care and gave a careless shrug.

"I say we get rid of Jon Snow and put my boy, Ramsay on the Iron Throne." Roose Bolton spoke. "My son was denied a Stark girl. Having the Targaryen queen will be a fine compensation."

"One bastard for another..." Walder Frey laughed. Roose growled at him and threw a dagger that hit the wall behind Walder's head.

Everyone else laughed. Littlefinger gestured for his servants to bring in more wine and ale. The food was brought in, a whole roast pig and lamb and plenty of whores to keep the party entertained. They started eating and discussion started. All the plans they had came up with. Assassins to take out the King and maybe getting the kitchen staff in Red's Keep, poisoning him. There was even talk of an all out battle to capture King's Landing once the dragons were dealt with. They were an ambitious lot.

* * *

Hours went by and the men were full with food and alcohol. Little finger gave his signal and the whores started to leave the dining hall.

"What's going on?" Raymund Frey slurred when the girl servicing him suddenly got off his lap and left the dining hall in a hurry, along with all the other of Baelish's whores.

"It's late Lord Frey..." Littlefinger said and gave a sly smile.

"But we were just starting..." Lothar Frey staggered in his drunken state.

"You should all retire." Littlefinger told them.

"Retire?" Lothar Frey scoffed. "What are you talking about you Idiot!"

"Guards!" Littlefinger screamed. Everyone stared in shock when they heard the marching and the armor.

Armed guards walked, all heavily armed. Raymund Frey realized they weren't Baelish's personal guards. Their armour was brass and the guards carried gold plated round shield's bearing the Royal crest. It was brand new, commissioned by the Queen. The three headed Targaryen Dragon inside the circle and carrying a small shield with the Direwolf's silver head, the emblem of the Starks on it . One of the guards carried a wooden staff.

"No!" Roose Bolton shouted and tried to take his sword from his sheath only to find it missing.

"Seize them!" Littlefinger ordered. The tens of King's guards present marched right up and took the men present. They were struggling hard and some were knocked unconscious.

"Traitor!" Roose Bolton cried. "You traitorous snake! Baelish Littlefinger! You will burn for this!"

"The traitor is you," Littlefinger smiled.

"For attempting to conspire to assassinate the King of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms, His Royal Grace, King Jon. You are all hereby placed under arrest for High Treason against the Crown. As such you will be tried in a court of law and where the punishment is death by beheading..."

"This is madness!" Raymund Frey cried as two of the King's guards held him. "You brought us here..."

"Yes..." Littlefinger said. "But I did it under the command of someone of higher authority."

"Who? Under whose orders?" Raymund Frey demanded.

"Mine!" Came a sharp woman's voice. "I gave the order."

Everyone turned and looked on, shocked to find Catelyn Stark present in the dining hall. She had taken off the gleaming gold plated helmet of the King's Guard and stood there, dressed as one of the King's guardsmen, her wooden staff next to her.

Raymund Frey stood trembling seeing her face to face, wearing the uniform and armor of the Kings' guards. Catelyn gave a malicious smile and pulled the collar down showing the long scar that Raymund Frey had left on her throat.

"There is no need for a day in court really," Catelyn spoke as she looked at the men, captured. "For as Hand of the Queen, I am also Chief Justice..."

Catelyn stared at them seeing the look in their eyes. She wanted them to know that her face was the last thing they will see before they die.

"I want you to know. That not only will all of you die tonight. So will your bloodline. All your children, not matter how small they are, will not survive. Your sons and daughters and your pregnant wives...even the bastards you breed."

Littlefinger stared at Catelyn, surprised by the hardness in her. He never thought his Cate was capable of cruelty.

"They will die...and nothing will be left of your Houses. I promise you on the souls of my dead son and husband."

Catelyn then stared at the guards before giving her commands. "I want them all beheaded and their heads to be sewn on a body not belonging to theirs...Call it a favour returned," She said with a sneer.

"Outside Lady Stark...if you please," Littlefinger said and cringed. He didn't want his precious tapestries and carpets to be bloodied.

She rolled her eyes and ordered the guards. "Do it outside..."

The three dozen or so King's guards dragged the men out to the courtyard of Harrenhall and started to behead them. Littlefinger could hear the screams and groans. He looked at Catelyn Stark and gave her a small smile. One she never returned. What she did was to give him was a large sack containing the deeds to the lands and castles owned by the Freys and Boltons that were signed over to him.

* * *

_King's Landing_

Jon was enraged when news of the slaughter reached him. Finn had told him, a separate battalion of the King's guards had been ordered to attack. None of Jon's former Night's watchmen were involved. They didn't even know about it until some drunk guard blabbered it out during a night out in the local tavern. Victims were from the noble Houses, The Freys, Boltons, and some from the House of Tyrell. Children and women hung in their homes. It was a massacre. Some estates burned to the ground. It seemed that Lord Baelish had orchestrated the attack.

The King burst into the meeting room where the Queen was having a meeting with Tyrion and Catelyn. Lord Varys was there and even Lord Baelish, Master of the Coin.

"What have you done!" Jon screamed as he marched right up to Littlefinger and grabbed him by the scruff of his collar. Jon slammed him against the wall and took a dagger from his sheath.

"Your Grace..." Littlefinger stuttered, his eyes widened in fear, feeling the tip of the dagger's blade on his throat.

"What is going on Jon?" the Queen asked, shocked by the sudden burst of anger in her husband and king.

She had never seen him so enraged and behaving in such a violent manner before. For a moment, it terrified her. Seeing the rage in her husband's face, Jon's cheeks had turned red. His nostrils flared and he was shaking.

"You murdered women and children! Under my name! Using my seal!" Jon yelled furiously. He then punched Littlefinger's face and pushed him to the floor.

"Jon!" The Queen cried.

"You will leave Lord Baelish! And you will never step foot in this city again! I will have you banished from King's Landing and the North! Do you understand me?" Jon demanded.

Littlefinger stared at the angry King. He touched his bruised cheek and nodded timidly.

"You will retire in Harrenhall and spend the rest of your days there..." Jon spoke, his gravelly voice filled with authority as he breathed in deeply. "If you're ever seen by my men in the North or in King's Landing Lord Baelish. I will have your head! I promise you."

Jon stared at his guards who were standing silent. "Take him away!"

The guards marched in and seized Littlefinger. Everyone present watched as they took him away.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" Tyrion asked, shocked by the incident when Littlefinger was gone.

"I agreed to have the Freys and the Boltons punished, Punished." Jon said grimly. "I never agree to the murder of innocents!"

Jon looked around and saw the drained look in Dany's face. "Leave!" Jon screamed. "Everybody leave! I need to speak to the Queen."

They all nodded and quietly left in a hurry. Catelyn looked at him and Jon looked away. When it was only Dany left in the room. Jon stood there staring at his wife, his body still trembling from the fury he had felt. She stared back at him, as if overwhelmed by what had just happened.

"What are you talking about Jon?" She asked him in a soft, pleading voice. "What innocent children?"

"They were massacred Dany. The entire bloodline. The Freys and Boltons, some of the Tyrells. The King's guards raided their homes and strung them up, hanged them in stables and on the trees...I heard that some of the women were raped..." Jon spoke. His tone had gone cold.

"No..." Dany covered her mouth, hearing that. She remembered seeing the rape of women in Essos when villages were raided by the Dothraki. It was horrible. And the image of children strung up. She felt tears welling up.

"Our seals were on that paper..." Jon said, his eyes had turned sad, watery even. "We signed that paper Dany. I signed that paper...Their blood is in my hands..."

Dany stared at him seeing the tears that welled in his eyes, it had affected her greatly to see him so tortured. She rushed to Jon and hugged him.

"I murdered them Dany..." Jon told her as he cried in her arms. "The very same people I was suppose to protect. I murdered them..."

* * *

Tyrion sighed loudly and shook his head as he stared out at the harbour. He gulped down his wine and turned looking at Catelyn Stark, sitting in his chamber.

"Well I hope you're satisfied..." He said gruffly.

Tyrion then threw the chalice down on the ground and that startled Catelyn.

"Children hung Lady Stark?" Tyrion spoke harshly. "Women raped and estates raided by the King's guards? Are you out of your fucking mind!" He bellowed.

"I do not condone the rape of the women...You can punish the guards who did that." Catelyn spoke and sat rigidly.

"Children Lady Stark? Innocent children? How do you think this will look for the Crown?"

Catelyn only kept quiet and the anger that Tyrion thought he had contained erupted again.

"The King will be seen as a tyrant!" Tyrion screamed. "A tyrant and a bastard all in one, just as Joffrey Baratheon was."

"This will serve as a warning," Catelyn said sharply, hate in her eyes. "Nobody will trifle with the Starks without thinking of the consequences."

"Your husband would be ashamed of you." Tyrion spoke angrily.

"Ned would understand and forgive me..." Catelyn said and looked away. "I did what I had to..."

"Yes... yes..." Tyrion said and heaved loudly. "You kept saying that. Peace! You needed peace! Do you know that these actions of yours have jeopardized the peace among the kingdoms that we have worked so hard to achieve?"

He stared at Catelyn Stark seeing she did not show even a hint of remorse. In fact she looked indignant, believing what she did was justified. He sighed loudly again and shook his head.

"You'd be pleased to know that the Damned Bastard Ramsay Bolton escaped." Tyrion said in sarcasm.

"He did?" Catelyn was shocked by the news.

"He's gone off to the Iron Isles with his _Bastard Boys_ seeking protection from the Greyjoys." Tyrion spoke and stared at her.

"But they hate him," Catelyn told Tyrion.

"Well apparently the Greyjoys hate the Starks more...None are too happy with Jon on the Iron Throne and the Queen's dragons did destroy their fleet of ships." Tyrion said.

"Asha Greyjoy has apparently agreed to a union with the bloody man if he supports her claim to be Queen of the Independent Iron Isles."

"We're going to have another war on our hands," Tyrion said and shook his head. He finally sat down, too exhausted by all that has happened

He looked at Catelyn intently before speaking, "Ramsay Bolton will flay you alive if he knows it was you. You, your children and all of Winterfell."

"That will never happen." Catelyn vowed. "I will kill him first."

"You wanted your revenge Lady Stark and so will Ramsay for his father's death..." Tyrion said. He breathed in sharply and heaved.

"I've heard somewhere, an Eastern philosopher once said, '_An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind_.'" Tyrion then looked at Catelyn almost as if he was disgusted by her.

"I think he was being too optimistic. The whole world won't go blind Lady Stark. There would be no one left! Everyone would be dead, killing each other out of vengeance and hate." Tyrion spoke bitterly. He got out of his chair and walked away.

* * *

Dany grew worried for her husband, the King. Jon had been withdrawn lately. He couldn't sleep well. Often waking up in the middle of the night gasping and sweating badly. Dany saw that he was often lost in his thoughts, staring into space. When things got worse, he would even lose his temper during meetings with the Crown's ministers, scaring them with his fury while they scuttled away. It was only when the Queen was around that the King managed to calm down. Everyone in Red Keep learned that only the Queen's presence would cure the King, soothed him even.

But Dany was really worried, seeing the change in him. Jon wasn't one to show his temper. He had always been quiet and brooding. Even Catelyn Stark found it strange. This volatility that she had seen in Jon. It wasn't a Stark trait. Ned had never lost his temper that badly. Even Robb had managed to keep his calm when he found out that Theon Greyjoy had betrayed him and when Catelyn had set the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister free.

Jon was staring out the balcony again when Dany walked up to him.

"You must not blame yourself my Love," She told him softly, hugging him from behind as her head leaned against his spine.

"I've punished all the guards involved. They've been stripped off their post and banished to work on The Wall." Jon said quietly. "And I still can't wash the blood off my hands."

"You did not murder those innocents Jon..." Dany said. She sighed and breathed in his scent, and kissed Jon's back.

"That's not what many Lords believed," Jon spoke as he stared out at the sea. "They think me a tyrant."

"You must not let it affect you..." Dany spoke. She nudged him and turned him around to face her so she could look into his deep, fathomless, dark eyes. Dany held Jon's face and looked at him.

"You are a good man Jon Snow. A good man." She told him and kissed his lips. Dany then pulled away and leaned in, resting her head on Jon's chest as he embraced her.

"The Lords will say what they want. They just want to incite disorder and upheaval to undermine us...But we will not let them win." Dany said firmly. "We can't."

Jon nodded solemnly and hugged her close. Having her there made it all better somehow. He breathed in her hair and the scent of flowers that he loved so much.


	5. Chapter 5 The Ice King & Dragon Prince

Chapter Five.

King's Landing

Dany was seated on her Iron Throne that afternoon. Her belly was rounder, seeing that she was already well into her fifth month. She smiled to herself and gently rubbed her bump. She knew her babies were doing well. She had been very cautious and taking good care of herself. Her maiden served her dishes that she considered nutritious, fresh fruits, oats and good meats. There was one occasion where she had eaten the heart of a stallion raw, still believing the Dothraki tradition that such a rite would ensure that her babies would be born strong.

Dany then looked at Jon seated beside on a throne that was an exact replica of hers. She had it commissioned on the same day she had the new royal crest commissioned, merging the Targaryen dragon and the Stark direwolf. It was a sign to the Lords of the various Kingdoms that they rule as one.

The King was his distant, withdrawn self again. His thoughts so far away as he stared into space. Dany touched his hand and squeezed it, causing Jon to look at her and give a sad smile. She sighed quietly, wishing there was a way to cure him of his melancholy. He had been depressed lately and his new found mood swings had taken a turn for the worse.

There was the sound of soft rustling of silk slippers and both Jon and Dany looked up seeing the eunuch, Lord Varys walking in. He had a nervous look on his round face and he bowed respectfully.

"Your Royal Graces..." He spoke in a soft tone. "I have brought bad news..."

"What is it?" Jon suddenly sat up and stared at Varys.

"Prince Aegon has escaped..." Varys spoke and his head remained bowed.

Jon was confused and looked at Dany. He did not even know that Prince Aegon, the son of Rhaegar had survived, much less being kept prisoner. Dany stared at Jon and then it hit him, seeing the anxiety in his wife's eyes. Dany knew. She knew and she kept it from him. His wife, whom he trusted most in the world had kept secrets of her own.

"When did this happen?" The Queen asked Varys.

"Two nights ago Your Grace." Varys spoke and looked at the Queen.

"Ramsay Bolton and the Greyjoys had aided the prince. The Greyjoys had taken their ship to Dragonstone and got the prince out. The Bolton Bastard had slain our guards there. All dead and some were flayed."

Dany sighed in frustration and looked at her guards. "Get Lord Lannister and Lady Stark please. I need to convene an emergency meeting..."

Varys nodded and bowed before walking away. Jon only stared at his wife. He wasn't sure he liked it, having secrets and skeletons buried in the closets. Dany moved to stand up but Jon grabbed her wrist.

"What is going on?" He demanded, pulling Dany to him. "Prince Aegon is alive?"

"I had him imprisoned in Dragonstone..." Dany breathed as Jon held her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jon asked her, his dark eyes piercing into hers.

"I didn't want you to worry..." Dany said, trembling. Jon immediately let her go.

"You didn't want me to worry?" Jon scoffed. "I am your husband Dany and you keep secrets from me!"

"You don't understand..." Dany said. "Aegon is my brother's son. He has a real claim to the throne. I wanted to have him kill but I couldn't. They say he looks like Rhaegar. Like my father even."

"So the Iron Throne is his then?" Jon asked her. "He is the true heir Dany."

Dany shook her head firmly. "No it's mine Jon! It belongs to me! I took it back! For us...for our children..."

"I never wanted this!" Jon cried. "I could have been happy being Lord Commander of the Night's Watch."

"But you belong by my side." Dany said and took his hand, holding it. Jon only took his hand away. He didn't want to be touched by her not right then when he felt so betrayed.

"I trusted you Dany and you keep this big a secret from me..."

"It was for your protection..." Dany cried.

"My protection!" Jon said and shook his head. "How could this be for my protection?"

He groaned in frustration and sat on the throne. He covered his head with both hands.

"Aargh!" He screamed as he bent to rest his head and hands on his knees. "Aargh!" Jon then stood up and walked away from the throne. He marched off leaving the Queen behind.

"Jon!" Dany shouted. "Jon!" She screamed but he did not turn around.

"Where are you going!" The Queen screamed at the top of her voice. "Come back here! I command you Jon Snow to come back! Come back here Your Grace!"

Dany suddenly felt a pain and she fell down. Her handmaidens rushed to her and the so did the Queen's guards. The handmaidens gasped seeing the blood. Dany touched her gown and cried when she saw the blood on her fingertips.

"No...no..."

* * *

Jon had burst into Tyrion's chambers, screaming at his Hand that had caused a startled reaction from Tyrion who had been engrossed reading several official documents.

"Did you know about this!" He screamed.

"Your Grace?" Tyrion stared at the King in shock.

"Did you know about Prince Aegon? Did you?" Jon demanded. Tyrion looked at him and gave a solemn nod.

"There is no one I can trust here..." Jon heaved. "Everywhere I turn, there are secrets and scheming. It is no wonder my father died, betrayed by the people closest to him. He could trust no one."

"What is the point of being King Lord Lannister when I seem to know nothing of what's going on?" Jon cried angrily and sank into one of the chairs.

"The Queen showed mercy to Aegon and allowed him to live. I never agreed to that." Tyrion sighed. "Aegon has a strong claim to the throne. He is the son of Rhaegar, heir of Aerys. Some say he could command the dragons even."

"Ramsay Bolton..." Jon spoke, looking at Tyrion. "He aided the escape."

"He's aligning himself with the Greyjoys and they'll probably try to put Aegon on the throne..."

"I thought the time for war is over..." Jon said sadly. "That we are finally in peace."

"War never stops Your Grace, not when there is still Power." Tyrion told him.

"What would my father do?" Jon asked as he stared ahead, feeling lost and unsure.

"I suppose Lord Eddard would do the honourable thing." Tyrion said softly.

"Give up the Throne?"

"No. He would fight for what he believed in. He would protect his family..." Tyrion told Jon. "His wife and children..."

Jon grew quiet hearing that and thought of Dany. His Queen, his Beloved wife, and the mother of his children. He was still upset by the secrets she kept and there were probably more. But Jon knew he would protect her with everything in him.

* * *

"Lord Tyrion..."

There was a knock on the door and a pageboy was standing outside. He saw Jon and bowed. "Your Grace."

"What is it?" Tyrion asked. He saw the grave look on the pageboy's face.

"It's the Queen, Milord. She's bleeding..." The pageboy spoke.

Hearing that Jon immediately stalked out Tyrion's chambers and ran as fast as he could to the South Wing. He ran up the stairs, the King's guards tried their best to catch up with him. Jon pushed the doors and rushed in seeing Dany lying on the bed. The Royal physician with her. Catelyn Stark was in the room.

"Dany..." Jon called her, his eyes widened in fear. "Dany...I'm so sorry..."

She heard his voice and gathered her strength to get up from the bed, rushing to him.

"Where did you go?" The Queen screamed, balling her hands into fists of fury and started to beat him at his chest.

"Why did you leave? I called for you!" She cried and hit him while he just let her. "You left me Jon! You just walked out and left me!"

"I know. I'm so sorry Dany...Please. I really am..." Jon said, trying his best to console her.

"You promised not to leave. You promised me Jon Snow..." The Queen sobbed furiously and Jon just held her in his arms.

He breathed and pulled her close letting her cry in his arms. It all felt better again. Jon felt his Peace. Just holding her and smelling the peonies, lilacs and roses in her hair. He then looked at the Royal Physician and Catelyn.

"The babies?" Jon asked, his heart beating anxiously. He would be devastated if anything had happened to them.

"They're alright..." Catelyn said with a soft smile.

"It's normal to have a bit of spotting," The Royal Physician said. "But please Your Grace. Make sure the Queen has plenty of rest. In fact she should stay in bed as much as possible."

* * *

Everyone had left the Queen's chamber except for the King. He just held her in his arms as they lied in bed, his hand touching her curved belly where his children were. His Twins. Dany snuggled closer and held his arm that wrapped around her tight.

"I thought you left me..." Dany said quietly. "I thought you had left for The Wall and never come back."

"I was just angry..." Jon told her. "I needed some time to myself."

"But you can talk to me..." Dany said as she turned around to face him. "I don't like it when you're withdrawn."

"I need to think Dany..." Jon breathed. "So much has happened with the massacres of the Houses and now knowing Aegon is alive and that he had escaped...I'm just not used to this. The secrets being kept. The scheming going on behind my back..."

"I'm sorry..." Dany cried, tears started to fall from her eyes. Jon shook his head and brushed them away before kissing her lips.

"It's alright now..." He said softly and hugged her close.

"Do you really not want to be King?" Dany asked him.

"I love you and you're my Queen. If being King is a way to be with you then I would be King..."

"I sometimes feel that we don't really have the power here..." Dany said. "It's like we're pawns for the Ministers and Lords, even the Hands."

"Do you want to have power?" Jon asked her. "Absolute power?"

"We'll be tyrants then..." Dany said. "Like my mad father." She then gave a soft ironic laugh and Jon looked at her closely, wondering what it was that she found amusing.

"It took so long and hard for me to finally get the Iron Throne only to realize that once I sat on it, there is still much work to be done." Dany then trembled and looked at Jon, her dear Sweet Jon. The thought of losing him...

"I'm afraid Jon...what if Aegon wages a war?"

"You won't be alone. I'm here with you..." Jon said and pressed a firm kiss on Dany's forehead.

"I will kill him before he can ever harm you or our children. You have my word." He spoke with fierce determination.

* * *

There was a Small Council meeting but since the Queen needed to rest and the King by her side, Lady Stark would chair the meeting, being Hand of the Queen. Catelyn had grown into her new role as Hand and liked it very much. She was politically astute and the Lords of Westeros had realized what a shrewd powerbroker she had become. There was word that she was the one controlling the Crown, the true queen of Westeros.

Catelyn was responsible for restoring the House of Tully and made her nephew the Warden of the Riverlands. The Tullys had been banished after the events of the Red Wedding and Catelyn saw to it, that her family would have their lands confiscated by King Tommen back. When Daenerys was crowned Queen, she had the young boy Tommen returned to Casterly Rock and banished him from the Capital. Tyrion was grateful for that, half afraid that the boy would have been sentenced to death. Jaime raised the boy, who was his actual son and groomed him to be heir of Casterly Rock.

It was a small meeting with only Catelyn, Tyrion and Varys. Catelyn took it upon herself to be Master of the Coin as well. Finn Grey, the King's friend from The Wall was named Lord Commander of the King's Guard. He wasn't much for meetings and politics which annoyed Catelyn to no end as Finn would find excuses to dodge such meetings. Catelyn had made her daughter, Arya to be Master of Ships and she was out with a battalion of the palace guards, surveying the armed forces. The Queen had liked the idea of having women in power and she found Arya's ideas of training women to fight and to be soldiers agreeable.

"So the trade with Slaver's Bay has brought silk and spices," Lady Stark said and looked at Varys and Tyrion.

"Yes..." Tyrion said. "They very much like the Lannister gold and will trade for more of it."

"The Queen has decided to name a few viceroys from Westeros to manage her conquered provinces overseas..." Catelyn smiled. She then showed the scroll to the Small Council.

Varys snorted as he looked at the scroll. "All from the houses of Stark and Tully and those loyal to the Starks during Robb's campaign..."

The eunuch then looked closely at Catelyn. "Are you sure they are not your choices Lady Stark?"

"I recommended them Lord Varys." Catelyn said rolling her eyes. "The decision is up to the Queen and King, in her absence."

"Of course..." Varys said and gave a terse smile. _The King who is her stepson..._

He gave a knowing look to Tyrion who only sipped his wine.

"What are we going to do about Aegon Targaryen?" Tyrion suddenly asked.

"He's not a threat is he?" Catelyn said and looked at the documents.

The issue of Aegon didn't really bother Catelyn much. She was checking the accounts of the Crown's coffer and smiled, pleased that the Crown's riches and fortunes were growing and so would the fortunes of the Starks and its influence and power.

"Well..." Varys started. "There is a rumor that he can command the dragons...being a Targaryen. But no one has ever seen it before. Besides the man does not have an army."

"He could get one." Tyrion said and looked at Catelyn. "He has Ramsay Bolton and the Greyjoys on his side. They could form an alliance with the Tyrells..."

"Who had sworn allegiance to the Queen..." Catelyn said staring at him.

"That was before you gave the order to slaughter them and raid their estates." Tyrion cried.

"Not all..." Catelyn replied nonplussed. "Only a few..."

"My...my Lady Stark...Quite the assassin aren't you?" Varys commented with a sly smile. Catelyn only glared angrily at him.

"They were treasonous Lord Varys." Catelyn said. She then looked at Tyrion. "I want my daughter Sansa to be married to your brother..."

"My former wife and my handless brother?" Tyrion was shocked by the proposal.

"He is Lord of Casterly Rock is he not?" Catelyn asked.

"A reluctant Lord..." Tyrion sighed in nonchalance. He then looked at Catelyn. "You do know that Jaime is still in love with Cersei right?"

"My daughter is beautiful. She is young and can bear him children. Plenty of children. This will fortify the alliance between the Starks and Lannisters. Sansa can give him a son."

"He already has a son!" Tyrion said irritably. "Tommen is his heir."

"An illegitimate heir who's mother is his sister..." Catelyn countered.

"In case you are blind Lady Stark. We have an illegitimate King." Tyrion said sharply. "I don't think the question of legitimacy matters any more."

Cately stared at Tyrion furiously before gathering her skirts and leaving the Small Council meeting in a flurry. Tyrion sighed in exhaustion and Varys gave a small sneaky smile.

"I've always said that women can't lead or have too much power. They're govern too much by their emotions and their monthly flux." Varys said.

"I'm starting to believe that is true." Tyrion said tiredly. He was all too familiar with women in power and their emotions. First Cersei and now Catelyn Stark.

* * *

Catelyn knocked on the King's official chambers and walked in. There were several of the King's guard standing there and the King was seated.

"You asked for me Your Grace?" Catelyn spoke as she walked in.

"Yes Lady Stark..." Jon said as he looked up. He looked rather solemn and Catelyn then realized that he probably already knew. That she was the one who gave the orders.

"Please sit..." Jon said in a formal tone and Catelyn sat down looking at him and at the King's guards who were standing still.

"Is it true that you ordered the massacre Lady Stark?" Jon asked her, his voice strangely calm.

"Yes." Catelyn nodded as she sat upright. "I did what I thought was right. To protect the family."

"By killing innocents?" Jon questioned her, his dark eyes blazing.

"They would have murdered your brothers and sisters if they could!" Catelyn gritted. Jon did not say anything back. They were silent for a while. The tension in the air building.

"I will not sentence you to death even though I could..." Jon said and Catelyn stared right at him, shocked he would even mention that.

"You went against the Queen's and my orders. We never agreed to the slaughter Lady Stark and because you superseded our authority. It could be seen as insubordination which if I'm not mistaken, also qualifies as a treasonous act against the Crown." Jon spoke slowly. He then grew quiet and gave a mournful look.

"I've always held you in high esteem Lady Stark. You were my father's beloved wife, and mother to my siblings. The Queen and I have agreed that you will retire from your position as Hand of the Queen and return immediately to Winterfell where you will live with your son Bran Stark, the Lord of Winterfell for the remainder of your days."

Catelyn's mouth gaped open as she heard it. "You cannot do that!" She cried. "I am Hand of the Queen!"

"I am King Lady Stark! And these are my orders." Jon said, raising his voice unwaveringly. Catelyn was silenced and looked at him.

"In view of your contributions to the Crown, we will give the lands and territory once belonging to the House of Boltons to the Lord of Winterfell and to Rickon Stark, the Warden of the North."

Catelyn only kept quiet and looked at Jon Snow. He wasn't the boy that had been raised in her house any more or the teenager that had left to guard The Wall. There was a change in him, she could sense it. Jon seemed more self assured and confident. The way he carried himself so similar to Robb when he had proclaimed himself King in the North and went out to battle. Catelyn didn't like it but she respected it. Jon was the King after all.

"Will my daughters be coming home with me?" Catelyn asked. Her tone defeated as she realized her days in power were over.

"No they will stay here as it is their wishes. Arya will take over your place as Hand of the Queen. My wife likes her very much," Jon said and gave a small smile.

"Also Sansa and Arya can marry whomever they wish Lady Stark, regardless of their suitors' rank or position with my permission. There will be no more arranged marriages."

Jon then gave a nod and the King's guards closed in. "That would be all Lady Stark..." He said in a quiet tone. Catelyn gave a nod and stood up. The King's guard did not lay a hand on her. They just stood close surrounding her.

Catelyn then bowed to the King and went up to kiss his ring. "Thank you Your Grace..." She told Jon, her blue eyes staring right at his before she left.

* * *

"Are you sad Jon now that she's gone?" Dany asked him while they held each other's arms, taking a walk in the palace's courtyard.

Lady Stark had just left for Winterfell, going home in a carriage with Bran and a battalion of King's guards. Jon wanted to ensure that Winterfell would be well armed in case Ramsay Bolton decided to spring a surprise attack like he did the last time.

"I had to let her go..." Jon spoke and gave his wife a smile.

"You still have me you know?" Dany said and smiled playfully back. Jon shrugged and Dany frowned at that. He looked on, seeing her curve belly that had grown bigger as the days went by.

"Arya has this wonderful idea of having schools for the smallfolk, especially for the girls. She also thinks we need to have proper hospitals in the city." Dany said. She smiled at Jon. "I think we should implement it."

"The Lords and the noble Houses will not be pleased..." Jon said and bent to kiss her lips.

"I don't really care..." Dany sighed. She then remembered what Ser Jorah had told her about the commoners in Westeros.

All they wanted was peace and food for their children. They were the ones who suffered most when times were hard and Dany had made a promise to protect them, the commoners, who were the vast majority of her people.

"Also I think we should give them some power..." Dany said. "Like a council of commoners. What do you think?" She asked her husband, the King.

"I think that it could be done." Jon said.

He thought of the common people and their plight. Even though he was raised in Winterfell in a Lord's house. Being a bastard, Jon always felt a kinship with the common people. The aristocrats never saw him as one of them and he was treated with scorn by them.

"Oh Jon..." Dany uttered and smiled. She touched the curve of her belly and then took his hand to touch it too.

"Can you feel it?" She asked him. Jon looked at her and his face had turned joyful. He felt the stirrings of life that was inside her. Their twins moving and kicking about. The Royal couple looked at each other and smiled happily. Their happiness of feeling the twins moving was interrupted when Tyrion came marching to them.

"Your Grace..." Tyrion called them. He wore a grave look on his face.

"What is it? Jon asked, suddenly anxious of what news Tyrion had brought with him. They were led to the Great Hall and there was a wooden box in the middle. All of the Small Council were present and Jon walked towards it.

"It just arrived today." Tyrion spoke. "For the Queen."

"What's in it?" Arya asked. She grew curious and looked at the box.

Jon stood right in front of it and Dany grew nervous.

"It could be a poisonous snake Your Grace," Lord Varys spoke in a worried tone. "Get one of the King's guard to open it."

Jon looked at Dany who nodded and he then looked at Tyrion. Jon shook his head. He didn't see the need to put any of the King's guard at risk and took out his sword ready to strike whatever serpent that laid inside. He opened the box quickly and there were gasps of horror when they saw what it was inside. One of the handmaidens fainted and Dany covered her mouth as she stared at it. Jon immediately rushed to his wife. There in the wooden box was the severed head of Prince Aegon.

Tyrion was shocked seeing that the Prince was dead. He then looked at Varys. "I don't understand. Why would they kill him? I thought they needed him."

"It's a warning..." Dany spoke, her voice trembled a little before looking at her husband. "If they can kill one Targaryen Prince, they can kill us all."


	6. Chapter 6 The Debt

Chapter Six.

_Casterly Rock_

When Tywin Lannister died, Jaime his heir became Lord of the House Lannister. He had lost his right hand and left the capital, King's Landing to retire in his ancestral home. After the restoration of the the Targaryen dynasty, with Daenerys as Queen. Jaime who had grown weary of battle had pledged his allegiance to the Queen, promising his services, fealty and the Lannister bannermen.

Jaime had refused to marry. He named his nephew-son the former King Tommen his heir and gave him the Lannister name. While Cersei spent her days under house arrest in a country estate away from Casterly Rock, Jaime presided over the ancestral home a reluctant Lord. He spent his days in idle pursuits, rearing horses and painting and other times with his son which brought him what little joy in his otherwise dreary existence. Jaime had been a warrior and a knight all his adult life and losing his sword's hand was a big blow to him. He had grown reticent and withdrawn, choosing a rather solitary life away from the glamour and glory in the Capital.

Tyrion would visit Jaime at times and he'd shake his hand seeing his once energetic older brother had grown melancholic.

"Oh...How the mighty had fallen... The great Kingslayer, Lord Commander of the King's Guard, Heir of the Lannister fortunes...cooped up in his castle..." Tyrion had said when he came by to bring Jaime to court.

"Leave me be Brother..." Jaime said gruffly.

"I wish I could..." Tyrion sighed. "But Alas, you are needed. The Queen calls for you..."

"You could have just sent a raven." Jaime grunted. "Saves you three days journey."

"I could have." Tyrion said and looked at his brother. "But I didn't. So here I am...ready to take my big brother Jaime to court."

"You here to examine if I had wasted the Lannister gold or gamble the family's fortune?" Jaime asked, eyeing his brother closely.

"I know you didn't." Tyrion huffed. "I had my men to check on the Lannister's fortune. And it has grown..."

"Spies of yours..." Jaime laughed bitterly. "My brother, Hand of the King..." Jaime shook his head. He inhaled a sharp intake of breath and looked at Tyrion. "Who would have thought the Stark bastard..."

"He's no longer a bastard.." Tyrion cut in. "The Queen has restored his legitimacy. Jon Snow is now officially a Stark..." Tyrion informed Jaime.

"He's still getting used to his position and has a bit of temper these days..." Tyrion heaved.

"But he has the makings of a good king which is more than I can ever say of Joffrey."

"That's not what I heard." Jaime quipped. "King's guards raiding and massacring the noble Houses...Not qualities I would say are positive..."

"Yes...Unfortunate really." Tyrion sighed. "One of Lady Stark's undoing. She's been banished to Winterfell."

"And who is to be the new Hand of the Queen?" Jaime asked.

"Arya Stark..."

"One Stark for another.." Jaime commented quietly. He then let out a loud yawn. "But at least the King would be feared if he isn't loved. No one would dare try to overthrow him. Not with dragons at his command."

"The Queen's command." Tyrion corrected.

"All the same..." Jaime said.

"You owe her a favor and your fealty Jaime..." Tyrion spoke. "She did spare your son's life..."

"And for that I am forever in her debt..." Jaime said with a sardonic smile.

"Yes and Her Grace is here to collect. You are to be presented in court and meet with the King and Queen."

"Whatever for?" Jaime asked.

"She just named you Master of the Ships, Lord Lannister." Tyrion announced and Jaime just stared at his brother in disbelief.

* * *

_King's Landing_

The King and Queen were seated on their thrones, in The Throne Room, with them were members of the Small Council and other courtiers. as well as Jaime Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, who had been called for an audience with the crown.

"Lord Lannister..."

The Queen smiled at him as he walked to her and bowed. He saw the large belly of hers. So the Queen is with child...Jaime thought. She had already begun to breed heirs to the Iron Throne. Jaime then bent to kiss her ring. He stepped back and looked at the King before bowing to him.

"Your Grace..." Jaime said and looked at the King's dark eyes.

It seemed so strange to Jaime that he wondered if it was all a bad dream. The last time Jaime was ever face to face and so close to Jon Snow or Jon Stark, he was in Winterfell. The boy was the broody bastard son of Eddard Stark who wasn't allowed to be present in the banquet of King Robert and now here he sits on the Iron Throne or at least a replica of it, with the black crown of Aerys II on his head.

The King wore black royal robes, medallions of rubies and black onyx and a ring on his finger. Jaime smiled tersely. He knew he had to bent and kiss the ring. The Ring of the King and he did. Jaime felt as if his pride had to take another beating.

"Lord Lannister." The King nodded and gave a rather sombre look.

Jaime stepped back and looked at his brother, Tyrion who was by the King's side. He was surprised to see the other Stark children present. There was Sansa and Rickon and of course, Arya, the Hand of the Queen. There were other courtiers present as well, Jaime recognized some of them to be Targaryen loyalists. There were others from the House of Tully, Arryn and Martell and of course members from the House of Stark.

_How the politics have changed... _He thought to himself. He also noticed that everyone was seated on velvet upholstered chairs. None were kneeling like they had during Joffrey's reign.

"Lord Lannister." The King spoke and cleared his throat. "We have asked you here to be the new Master of Ships. Do you consent to that?"

"Of course Your Grace," Jaime said with a smile. "I am honoured to be chosen, and shall remain your faithful and humble servant."

The King gave a solemn nod and then looked at The Queen. "We have much to discuss." The Queen said and smiled. Clearly her pregnancy had given her a radiant glow. She had gotten even more beautiful as Jaime looked admirably.

"Your Grace..."

Jaime turned and saw a dozen or so people walking in. Judging from their appearances and what they were wearing, they weren't from the Noble houses. They were dressed in coarse clothes without jewellery or armaments. Commoners, Jaime realized.

"Ah...You've came..." Arya squealed in delight.

The seventeen year old smiled and walked down the steps, running passed Jaime and greeted the people coming in. She took one of the older men's hand and brought him to meet the King and Queen. The man bowed and knelt before them.

"Your Majesties." The man spoke.

"Please rise." The King said and the man did.

"I am Frederic Liese Your Grace, just a humble physician."

"Mister Liese runs a small clinic to heal the poor..." Arya spoke. "I've talked to him about the need for better hospitals for the sick. And he agrees with me?"

"How does the people in city fare Mister Liese?" The Queen asked.

"They are much better than before Your Grace. There is food to eat and the houses build for the poor are sufficient. However it is hard to treat the sick with so little resources and medicine..."

Jaime looked at his brother and signalled him with a tilt of his head. Tyrion walked towards Jaime.

"What is going on? Commoners in court?" Jaime asked watching as the dozen or so commoners that had arrived were brought to the King and Queen.

"The Queen and King wants to make some social reforms for the smallfolk...There is talk of even having a Council of commoners so the King and Queen are able to hear their grievances and concerns and give some power to them..."

"Council of Commoners?" Jaime almost scoffed.

"Yes...The Queen's idea..." Tyrion said. "She says the common people are her children and she wants to take care of them."

"Then she will find herself to be mother of a mass of huddled, hungry, uneducated people." Jaime shook his head.

"The Queen wants to build a school and she will make it Law so that peasants can send their children to school even the girls." Tyrion informed him.

"This is madness..." Jaime grumbled as he looked on seeing the Queen listening closely to the peoples' complaints. She looked very attentive and concerned. "She clearly is her father's daughter."

* * *

The Small Council had a meeting later on with the King and Queen present at the King's official chambers. They were seated at a round table that had the royal crest engraved. Th sigil of the Targaryen three headed dragon and the Stark's silver head f a direwolf. Jaime listened closely as Arya Stark started talking. She was an intelligent girl and had presented to the council her plans of a Military Academy.

"We can go to the countryside and have peasants send their children to us. Not by force of course. They will be educated and trained to be soldiers for the Crown and in return gold coins will be paid to the parents and family as well as sacks of grains. These soldiers will then be loyal to the crown and we would have our own army and not rely on any of the Houses..."

"So you want the peasants to sell their children?" Jaime suddenly asked. "Is that what you propose Lady Stark?"

"It's not selling them." Arya frowned. "It's giving them a better future and a better chance. They would be educated and have jobs in the Crown's army. They would not be subjected to the harsh life working under a Lord. We can also bring in homeless orphans if they wish to join."

"But that is how things are run Lady Stark..." Jaime sighed. "The lords take care of their peasants in return the peasants toil the lands..."

"But they do not have freedom!" Arya cried.

"They are peasants...What would they do with freedom?" Jaime shrugged. Arya only ignored him and looked at her brother, The King.

"Think about this...You will have your own loyal forces. The smallfolk are the vast majority of Westeros Jon. If you take good care of them, they will pledge their life and fealty to you. Which is more than I can say for many of the noble Houses..." Arya said angrily and glared at Jaime.

"If we give the peasants certain privileges what's to say they won't ask for more..." Jaime argued and looked at the King and Queen.

"They might get in over their heads and demanded equality, maybe even to be the same rank as a Lord. Nobility is a privilege of birth Your Graces. There is a natural order.."

"It is not their fault they were born peasants Lord Lannister..." The King said. "Just as it wasn't my fault to be born a bastard..."

"I didn't mean anything Your Grace..." Jaime stuttered but the King raised his hand and waved dismissively and Jaime grew silent.

"Lady Arya Stark's views will be very much taken into our consideration. There is still much to discuss and we will weigh our options..." The King spoke sternly.

Jaime gave a nod and sat down. He then whispered to Tyrion. "Don't tell me you agree with this Brother?"

"Well the girl does have good points..." Tyrion replied. "The Crown does need to have its own army."

"An army of peasants..." Jaime shook his head.

* * *

The King and Queen had signed a royal decree, claiming that all people of Westeros will have the right to an education, including the children of the smallfolk even the girls. Armed guards from the Capital and scholars will be sent to the Kingdom to enforce the law. Any Lords who oppose will have their lands confiscated and titles stripped.

A new constitution had been signed by the Royal couple, reforming the laws of Westeros. It was written the every man, woman and child of Westeros will be born free. They will have the same rights and will be treated equally by the Crown. Peasants are able to buy lands direct from the Crown and no longer be subjected to their Lords and landowners. They could move to another district or province if they wished. A Council of Commoners had been established by the Queen. It was made up by upstanding people of the smallfolk. Physicians and teachers, fishmongers, merchants, fishermen, farmers and bakers. The Queen had been very vested in the

She had sworn to protect her people, the smallfolk of Westeros, especially the women. Rape was a capital punishment and so was slavery, forced labour and the abuse of children. The Queen took a step further and made it law that women were able to inherit the family land and fortune and have equal rights as her male relatives. The Queen also banned the practise of arranged marriages and betrothals and that if a woman does not agree to the marriage, she cannot be forced into it. The punishment for the Lords and male relatives who made it, would be confiscation of land and stripping of titles.

It had caused quite an uproar in the noble Houses throughout the land, especially with the reforms for the commoners. It seemed like the entire social structure and the feudal hierarchy and had been in a disarray. They had sent emissaries to the Queen appealing the laws but she stood firm and held her ground. In response both the King and Queen wrote a public letter with both their royal seals.

"_If a large mass of the people of Westeros are unhappy, we should be unhappy. If a large number are poor then we are poor with them. We cannot have a country where only a few are well looked after while the many are desperate, hungry and cannot even write or read their own name. We cannot have a country where a small number have high privileges earned to them at birth and not by merit, while many are judged by their low standing at birth. We cannot live in a country where women are treated like chattel and not with respect. That is not a country we want."_

* * *

Dany was quite pleased with herself when the reforms were set into law. She looked at her husband and smiled. They were standing at the balcony of the tower waving to their subjects who came to see them. Bread and grains were given to the many smallfolk and so were meat and wine. Dany had wanted to hold a feast for the people and in celebration a Grand Tourney for the people to watch and be entertained. Tourneys were usually for the nobility but she scrapped the law.

"The people deserves to be entertained and celebrated. They have worked so hard..." Dany had said to her Small Council, which she had added a new person in.

A new post of People Meister, a member of the the Council of Commoners that now had a seat in the privileged Small Council table.

"People of Westeros..." Dany greeted her people, finally showing her pregnant form to the masses.

"I say the times of Lords and their games are over. Everyone should be able to enjoy the festivities..." Dany said and smiled. The people cheered and threw roses.

"Also I want you all to know that you are not the smallfolk or the common people anymore. You are my people, the Queen's people and you will live under my protection and love." Dany said firmly.

"Long Live the Queen!" They cheered and roared. "Long live the Targaryen Dynasty!"

Jon smiled and pulled Dany closer to him as he waved at the people. He then whispered to his wife. "They love you Dany. They really love you."

"I know..." She smiled back. "They love you too Jon."

He pulled her in and kissed her lips which caused the crowd to roar and cheer even more. Dany suddenly groaned in pain and Jon pulled away looking at her in horror.

"What's the matter?" He asked as he looked at her. Dany cried in agony again and held her belly. Jon saw that there was a pool of water around her her feet.

"I think they're coming Jon...Our children are coming..." She cried. Jon immediately lifted her up in his arms and with Dany's handmaidens and the King's guards behind him. He rushed to the Queen's chamber.

The Royal physician was called and several midwives came rushing in as Dany lied in bed. She was sweating badly and groaning in pain while Jon was by her side.

"Your Grace you need to leave." One of the midwives said. "A man is not supposed to be here..."

"No I am staying!" Jon cried. "I will not leave my wife alone here..."

Arya burst into the room and Jon was relieved to have his sister here. She went to Dany's side and held her hand.

"It's going to be alright..." Arya said to The Queen.

"I don't want to lose my babies..." Dany said tears in her eyes. She remembered when she had lost her son Rhaego.

"You will not lose them." Jon said and kissed her forehead. "I swear to you."

"Oh Jon..." Dany cried and held his cheek. "If I die, promise me you will take care of our children. We cannot die together Jon, there'll be no one to look after them.."

"You are not going to die Dany." Jon said fiercely. His eyes blazed like hot coals. "I will not let you. You cannot leave me..."

"Jon..." Dany called him before screaming in pain again. She gripped Jon's hand tight while her legs are spread and the midwife between them.

"Push Your Grace. You have to push hard..."

"Aargh..." Dany screamed as she tried her best despite the searing pain.

"Push Your Grace..." The midwife urged. "I can see the babe's head."

"It's too hard..." Dany moaned and she looked at Jon who held her hand. "You can do this Dany..." He said and smiled at her.

She looked at Jon and nodded. Dany breathed in and closed her eyes. She then gave a hard painful push and then she felt the rush and heard the cries. She opened her eyes and looked down. The midwife held the baby up and cut the umbilical cord.

"A Prince your Grace.." She said.

Jon smiled tears in his eyes as he looked at his son. A healthy baby boy. Strange though he had expected the boy to have dark hair as Dany had mentioned about her dreams. The baby had a fine layer of silver blonde hair like his mother and the violet eyes. He looked more Targaryen than Stark. The baby was cleaned and wrapped in a soft blanket and given to the King. Jon smiled seeing his son's perfect face and showed him to Dany who gave a small smile before wincing in pain

"Your Grace..." The midwife positioned below told her. "You need to push again..."

Dany nodded and continued breathing hard before pushing again. Jon handed the newborn Prince to Arya and held Dany's hand.

"That's it my Love.." Jon whispered after Dany had a made a long, trembling push. She looked exhausted and drained. "Push Dany..." Jon encouraged and before long a baby came out, glistening by the candle light of the chandelier.

"A girl, Your Grace." The midwife announced and held the baby out. The princess looked just like her twin, silver haired and violet eyes. The cord was cut and the baby washed, wrapped in blanket and given to her mother.

Dany smiled as she held her daughter, looking at her. "Hello Aerysa..." She whispered and kissed the baby's forehead. She looked at Jon who leaned to kiss her lips.

Arya walked to the couple and held out the baby boy. "They look just like you Your Grace..." She said to Dany.

"I thought they would have dark hair, like in my dreams..." Dany said and looked at Jon. She sounded almost disappointed.

"They're still beautiful." Jon said and kissed her forehead.

"What are their names?" Arya asked as she looked at the sleeping prince in her arms.

"Eddard Robb..." Jon said and looked at Dany and his daughter. "And Aerysa Rhaelle," Dany continued as she held her daughter close.

* * *

"The Queen has given birth..." Tyrion announced as he walked into his chambers. Jaime was there sitting at the dining table.

"Heirs to the Iron Throne." Jaime said and lifted the chalice of wine he held with his left hand before saying in sarcastic tones. "Here's to another three hundred years of Targaryen rule."

"Strange though..." Tyrion muttered. "They look more Targaryen then Stark. Silver haired and violet eyes.." He then shook his head.

"Guess her dragon blood is stronger than his..." Tyrion commented. He then looked at Jaime. "Twin heirs... We now have a prince and a princess."

"Well lets hope they don't follow the Targaryen tradition of marrying each other..." Jaime commented.

"Why yes..." Tyrion uttered and sighed loudly. "Enough dalliances between brother and sister as it is." He spoke and Jaime only glared.

"Didn't the Targaryen king, Jaehaerys II once said that the gods flipped a coin when a Targaryen is born...Which do you think will be great Brother and which will be mad?" Jaime asked Tyrion.

"My money is on the boy. I bet he'll look exactly like his grandfather, the Mad King..." Jamie said.

"Nonsense." Tyrion scolded. "Their father is a Stark. No worries of madness there. Starks are known to have the mental fortitude of steel. Besides I won't be surprise if their hair grows darker in age."

Jaime only shrugged and finished his wine. He didn't really care much about the newborn prince and princesses. In fact he didn't seem to care about much at all. He was at the Capital because he owed the Queen a debt and that was it. The Queen had spared Tommen and allowed the boy to return to Casterly Rock with his father. Jaime was forever grateful for the kindness and mercy shown by the Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. So he had swallow his pride and limp back to the Capital to serve the Queen and her once bastard King. It was not out of love or fealty to the Crown but a debt that Jaime knew was hard to be repaid. _A Lannister always pay his debts_. And Jaime would see to it even if it means he had to spend the rest of his life in service to the Crown.


	7. Chapter 7 Grand Tourney

Chapter Seven.

_King's Landing_

While Dany had been resting after birthing the twins, Jon knew the rule of the Westeros fell solely to him. He had trouble trusting people, especially much of the Small Council, with the exception of Arya, his sister who was also Jon's closest confidante. Making Arya Hand of the Queen was a decision Jon knew he would never regret. Although Arya was young, she was not naïve. Her experience living in the fringes of society while the War of the Five Kings raged on had made her grew up faster than she normally would. Arya no longer led a sheltered life that a normal noblewoman would lead.

It appears that Arya had inherited her mother's political astuteness and her father's moral convictions. She had made many changes within the political sphere much to the furor of the Lords and their noble Houses. There was open talk of revolt even in the grand halls of the various estates. Varys, the Master of Whisperers who had secured spies in the various noble Houses reported it back to Arya and Tyrion.

"What should we do?" Jon asked his Hands.

"The Tyrells are the problem. They are not happy about the massacre of their relatives and these new reforms are not to their liking as well." Tyrion spoke.

"We also have the Baratheons to deal with. They too are angry with the Rights of Citizens Act." Arya said and looked at Jon. "Remember Jon, Stannis Baratheon ordered your death."

"Should I order his as well?" Jon cried in alarm. "I can't kill people just because they disagree with me."

"Well you are king..." Tyrion said with a shrug. "You can do anything you like."

"That's not the kind of King I am." Jon spoke and frowned at Tyrion. He then looked at Arya.

"What do you think Arya?" Jon asked his sister.

"I would kill them all..." Arya said easily which made Jon and Tyrion stared at her shell shocked.

"Or...stripped them of their titles and nobility," Arya said sheepishly. "We give their lands and castle to the smallfolk of their lands and have them rule the place..."

"Rule by themselves?" Tyrion scoffed. "With no Lords?"

"It would be perfect," Arya smiled. "The people who lived there in the Stormlands and the Reach will know what's best for them. We can appoint a Warden to oversee and act as Magistrate and also representatives of the Crown but let the people decide what they want."

"It's nonsense!" Tyrion cried and shook his head. "Letting the people rule themselves...I wonder where you get such ideas Lady Stark."

"I truly feel that all men and women are born equal." Arya said and folded her arms.

"Well if that is true, you should have been born a man," Tyrion said snarkily and Arya only gasped in anger.

"And you Lord Tyrion the Imp should be a woman so you would know how it feels like to be judged solely on your sex!"

"Arya!" Jon scolded her and she looked away.

Tyrion rolled his eyes. "Oh Please...Lady Stark. I am a dwarf. I've been judged enough for it that it is now my shield. Nothing can ever hurt me..."

"Enough..." Jon spoke and gave a loud heave.

He was tired from the lack of sleep. The twins were crying all night and Dany would not have them sleep away from her and he could not be without her. Dany would not even have nursemaids for her twins, believing that they would be stronger drinking her milk.

"The Queen has mentioned of the conquest of the Valyrian Peninsula and much of the Shadowlands," Jon spoke.

Tyrion and Arya looked at him, surprised. "The Queen wants to conquer the Shadowlands?"

"She thinks the East has much riches that is of used to us and wants to expand the Empire." Jon said.

He didn't agree to the idea of conquering foreign lands but Dany was adamant that once she had recovered she, her dragons, an army of 200,000 bannermen would sail East. They would then converge with the hordes of Dothraki horsemen under her command and conquer much of Essos. The Queen had already sent viceroys from Westeros to rule her conquered lands overseas which included the nine Free Cities and Slaver's Bay. Qarth had remained an independent nation but paid tributes to the Queen.

Daenerys was a Targaryen and she saw herself as a Conqueror like the first Targaryen King and his sisters who came and conquered the Seven Kingdoms with their dragons. Dany was a kind, loving Queen but still a Conqueror, none the less. Her husband however, remained suspicious of such expansion of territories and lands. Jon never liked the idea of subjugating people under his rule. He was wary of the power he now had. It made him uneasy. The massacre of the noble Houses done at the behest of Lady Stark made him realize the magnitude of absolute power. What would happen if it was under the wrong hands? Power corrupts people. Just as it did many who sat on the Iron Throne and Jon was afraid. Afraid that he and Dany would succumb to it.

Jon sighed and looked at Arya. Maybe his sister was right, if the people were allowed to rule themselves and choose their leader or Lords. The power would not be concentrated at the top.

* * *

Jon went to the Queen's bedchambers that he shared with Dany and realized that his wife was gone. The handmaidens were looking after the twins while the Queen's guards were standing there, silent and still. Dany had added additional security, fearing that her twins' lives were at stake. She had also released her three dragons from their dragonpits and let them fly around the Capital.

Jon went looking for his wife and found her in the Queen's official chambers. She was there alone with Jaime Lannister. They were talking quietly and then laughing softly. Jon didn't know why but he hated it. He had never felt it before, this sudden jealousy seeing his wife interact with another man. Jaime Lannister was still handsome and charming despite losing his right hand and there he was standing so close to the Queen.

"So I told her...Lady are you sure I fucked you last night? Cause I could have sworn I was too drunk to remember..." Jaime said and laughed.

"No You did not Ser!" The Queen gasped and giggled.

"I did...Your Grace." Jaime said and nodded. "That whore demanded her money and I had to pay. I didn't want to deal with Baelish..." Jaime made a face of disgust and laughed.

"Have you seen that man and his snivelling face? The way he looks at people, as if he's calculating how much money he can make of them..." Jaime said.

The Queen nodded and laughed. "Yes. Yes...I saw that. He does look very calculated and very sly."

"Do you know why he's called Littlefinger Your Grace?" Jaime asked her. The Queen shook her head.

"Well it's not his finger that is so little..." He whispered close to her ear.

The Queen threw her head back and laughed hysterically at Jaime's jokes. She then touched Jaime's arm. Seeing that made Jon frowned. He walked towards them and cleared his throat.

"Oh Jon..." Dany smiled and looked at him.

"Your Grace..." Jaime spoke and bowed to the King.

"Lord Lannister here was just telling me about his time at the Tourneys..." Dany explained.

"I'm sure it was very entertaining," Jon said and gave a terse smile. Jaime saw that and realized he wasn't quite welcomed.

"Your Grace," Jaime said and looked at the Queen. "I should leave, many things to attend to."

"Oh No Lord Lannister..." Dany smiled and took his hand which made Jon stared at it. His wife holding another man's hand, right in front of him.

"Please you must join us for supper." Dany said, her eyes looking right at Jaime.

Jaime gave a charming smile back. "If my Queen insist."

* * *

Supper was uncomfortable for Jon who was quiet the entire time while Jaime Lannister used his charms and humor to entertain the Queen. She was laughing hard the entire time while the King seemed to lose his appetite and was brooding to himself. Dany was unaware that Jon was not happy. She had enjoyed having Jaime Lannister in court, which was strange at first, seeing that he was the one who had her father killed but Dany had realized Jaime had reasons for doing so. He had saved the entire city from being burned. The royal couple retired to their bedchambers and it was then that Dany realized Jon was scowling.

"What's wrong?" She asked her husband.

"I do not like seeing you with Lord Lannister," Jon spoke out.

"What?" Dany asked him, shocked that he would say that.

"The way he was looking at you and laughing with you. Besides I don't trust the man."

Dany heard that and frowned. "Oh! Please do not be jealous Jon. Lord Lannister is the Master of the Ships and my loyal servant. It was nothing. He was just making me laugh."

She then looked at her husband. "Why do you not trust him?"

"He is a Lannister." Jon said and heaved loudly.

"Lord Tyrion is a Lannister too..." Dany pointed out.

Her handmaiden came and took off her cloak and Dany sat down on her chair while two other handmaidens started to brush her long silver blonde hair. Jon just sat on the bed and looked at his wife.

"Well I do not trust Lord Tyrion too..." Jon said. Dany almost choked hearing that.

"Then who do you trust if you can't even trust your Hand?" Dany asked him.

"Arya. I trust Arya. I trust my family..." Jon spoke.

"Like how you trust Lady Stark only to find out that she had ordered the massacre..." Dany said rather snidely which made Jon frowned more.

"I banished her for that!" Jon said and Dany only shrugged. She sighed and looked at her husband.

"I've dealt with the Tyrells and Baratheons..." Dany informed him.

"What?" Jon stared at her, shocked by it. He wondered what she meant by having it dealt.

"Ser Loras Tyrell has been ordered to come here and served as Lord Commander of the City Watch and I've also asked for Stannis Baratheon's daughter Shireen to serve as Lady in waiting." Dany told him,

"You're taking them hostage?" Jon asked her.

"Well Lord Jaime suggested it and I agree that it is far better. They wouldn't dare to do anything now..." Dany spoke rather nonchalantly.

"So you're listening to him now?" Jon asked her in disbelief.

"He is an experienced knight Jon and he was Lord Commander of the King's guards. Besides I'm making him Grand Meister of the Small Council."

"Grand Meister? Are you insane?" Jon spoke and stared at her.

Dany frowned and stood up in anger. Her handmaidens stopped brushing her hair and stepped back.

"I will not have you speak to me that way Jon!" She said firmly.

"You like him don't you?" Jon demanded as he stared angrily at his wife.

"So what if I do!" Dany yelled. "I am Queen! I do as I please! You best remember that!" Dany said sharply.

Dany then took Jon's arms and pulled him away. She then pushed him out of her room. "Go! I don't want to sleep next to you tonight!"

"Fine!" Jon said angrily. "You can dream of your Lord Jaime in your sleep!"

Dany's eyes widened in anger as she stared at her husband's face. "You are insufferable Jon Snow..."

She then looked at her guards. "Please make sure the King goes to his chambers safely and stays there..."

Dany then slammed the door and Jon just stood out there for a while as he stared at the closed door. It took him a while to realize that his wife had just slammed the door shut on him. He looked at the guards who stood still. It never happened before, Dany kicking him out of her chambers. Jon didn't know what to do. He heard a whine and smiled seeing his direwolf Ghost standing there. Ghost walked to him and Jon bent to touch him.

"Yeah..." Jon said and patted his wolf. "She's furious with me Ghost."

"Come on...It's just you and me now," Jon urged his wolf. "Let's go. Sleep in the king's chambers..."

Jon walked away with Ghost next to him and a dozen or so King's guard flanking him and some marching behind.

* * *

"What did you do?" Tyrion asked as he walked to his dining table where Jaime was.

"What?" Jaime looked up at his brother. He was having a late breakfast when Tyrion came storming in angrily, as if a wasp had stung his arse.

"I've heard from Varys that one of his little 'birds' said to him, the Queen and King were fighting last night and it was about you." Tyrion said and frowned.

Jaime only shrugged and drank his tea. "I wouldn't know anything."

"You were flirting with the Queen!" Tyrion cried. "And the King does not like it."

"So the King is jealous..." Jaime said casually. "How could it be my fault?"

"Do you not like your head Big Brother?" Tyrion asked Jaime as he stared at him in dismay.

"Do you want the King who is the son of Eddard Stark to take that large sword of his and sever it?" Tyrion asked him urgently. "That's how they do it in the North you know. The one who passes the sentence, carries the beheading."

"He's not very trusting of his wife then if he thinks like that..." Jaime spoke.

He smiled thinking of the times spent with the Queen. She was very beautiful and it had been a while since he had been in the company of a beautiful woman. Jaime couldn't help himself. There was just something about her, something mesmerizing, magical, seductive even. Maybe it was the dragon blood in her or those deep violet eyes or her iridescent silver hair. Jaime felt spellbound. He never felt that way before around a woman, not even with Cersei. He wondered what it was. Jaime then realized that being in King's Landing might not be a bad thing, after all. Especially if he could spend time being so close to the beautiful Queen.

* * *

The Grand Tourney at King's Landing had begun and the Queen was excited to see it. The twins were already three months old and doing well but she still did not dare to bring them out and let them rest in their nursery. The Queen sat next to the King. A week since their huge argument and Jon was still giving her the cold shoulder. Dany gritted silently. She would not give in and be the one to ask him back. _How could he? Calling her insane? And he still hadn't apologize. Northerners and their pride..._

The Queen just looked ahead and barely acknowledged the King who sat beside her. Tyrion saw the frosty looks between the royal couple and shook his head. He looked around and wondered where Arya Stark was.

Varys sat down next to him and whispered. "They're still sleeping in separate chambers..."

"Pshaw... They'll get over it. Couples fight all the time..." Tyrion said and waved his hand.

"Yes." Varys nodded. "But the Queen has been spending an inordinate amount of time with the Grand Meister, your handsome brother."

"Alone?" Tyrion asked and Varys responded.

"Well the Queen's guards were there and her handmaidens of course. But it is very obvious that the Queen is fond of Lord Jaime and I would be so bold to say that it is rather inappropriate.."

"What do you mean?" Tyrion asked.

"Well my little bird says, Her Grace is very affectionate with him. They flirt openly and smile a lot. She greets him with hugs and kisses his cheek."

"She kissed my forehead before..." Tyrion said with a roll of his eyes.

"She calls him a pet name. Her Golden Lion..." Varys continued.

"Oh the gods..." Tyrion shook his head and covered his face. "Maybe I should have never suggested my brother to come here..."

"Yes..." Varys said and gave a nod. "It is never a good idea to have attractive members in the Small Council. I mean look at us. No Queen will ever look at us with lust."

Tyrion only snorted and looked on as two knights at opposite sides were prepared to challenge one another in a game of joust.

"Ser Kevan Ordell from Lakeswood and er... Ser Arnold from the House of Stark..." The announcer spoke.

"Ser Arnold Stark?" Tyrion asked Varys who only shrugged.

The two knights started to gallop towards each other with their horses and the long joust stakes. The knight wearing the Stark sigil managed to hit his opponent fast and Ser Kevan was thrown off the horse. People cheered and the King rose from his seat clapping.

Ser Arnold then rode towards the Royal couple and made his bow. Everyone was shocked when the knight took off his helmet and revealed herself. It was Arya Stark, looking beautiful and brave, wearing a knight's armour, her long dark hair tied into a bun.

"I've always find the girl strange," Varys whispered to Tyrion who only laughed. He then stood up and clapped more. "Bravo Lady Stark! Bravo!"

The King smiled at his sister and Arya took a rose and a handkerchief with the Stark sigil giving it to her brother. The crowd cheered on more.

* * *

The tournament went on until there were two left. Stark against Lannister. Competition grew even more fierce as the crowd cheered for their favorite teams. It was Arya against Jaime Lannister who had somehow managed to pull through to the finals even with his left hand. Tyrion realized that Jaime had probably been practising using his left hand while at Casterly Rock.

Jaime and Arya galloped towards each other and Jaime being more experienced managed to strike hard and fast and Arya fell to the ground much to everyone's horror. The crowd cheered as Jaime was announced the Champion. Gendry Waters rushed to Arya and helped her up.

"Are you alright?" Gendry asked her.

"Yah." She winced. "It hurts a bit."

"I told you this is a horrible idea," Gendry chastised her but Arya only ignored him. He was always worrying. She watched on as Jaime Lannister took off his helmet and bowed to the Royal couple.

"Stupid Lannister Arse..." Arya muttered. Gendry put his arm around her as he helped her walk while she limped.

Jaime was crowned the champion of the Great Capital Tourney and he rode around the arena with his white stallion. He carried the winter crown of blue roses and Tyrion watched as Jaime approached the Royal couple.

"No.." Tyrion muttered as he looked to be sitting on the edge of his seat. "Don't do it you Fool! Don't do it!"

Varys only looked at Tyrion bemused, and wondered what Tyrion was blabbering about.

"Arh!" Tyrion groaned and Varys turned to look.

Jaime Lannister had galloped to the Queen and left the crown of blue roses on her lap, naming her the Queen of Love and Beauty. Normally the champions of Tourneys would leave the crown of roses on their Betrothed's lap or traditionally on the woman who had captured their hearts. And Jaime just given the blue roses to the Queen, with the King next to her.

"That stupid stupid Fool!" Tyrion gasped.

Varys shook his head. He watched on seeing the anger on the King's face and the look of surprise on the Queen's. The crowd cheered on and Jaime waved.

"Oh No...This doesn't look well..." Varys muttered. "It's like the Prince Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark controversy all over again."

"Oh Shut up!" Tyrion growled before leaving the gallery. "My brother won't be stupid enough to kidnap the Queen."

* * *

Jon was furious and green with envy. He could not believe that Jaime Lannister had just done that. Leaving the crown of blue roses on Dany's lap. He stormed right into his wife's chambers and Dany was there seated among her handmaidens, wearing the blue roses on her head. Jon marched up to her and took them from her head before pulling them apart, destroying the roses.

"What are you doing?" Dany screamed.

"Get out! Everyone out!" Jon yelled and the handmaidens left in a hurry.

"Have you gone mad!" Dany yelled at him as she walked to him and screamed at his face. "What is wrong with you!"

"I want him gone!" Jon shouted. "I want him out of the city and back to Casterly Rock! I don't care! He can go shit gold there if he wants!"

"NO!" Dany bellowed. "Lord Lannister stays! He is a good friend of mine!"

"Can't you see it?" Jon asked her in dismay. "He is in love with you!"

Dany only kept quiet and looked away.

"You knew it! You know that he's in love with you..." Jon stared at his wife in disbelief.

"Yes I think. I'm not sure..." Dany spoke quietly. "Maybe I encouraged it."

"You encouraged it?" Jon tried his best to breathe in deeply. "Dany you are my wife!"

"A king can take mistresses. Many kings do..." Dany said. "Why can't queens?"

"What?" Jon looked at her shocked she had just said that. So it was true then, his wife was attracted the pompous, obnoxious Lannister Arse. Dany only kept quiet and looked away.

"So you want Jaime to be your lover?" Jon almost spat it out. "You want to whore yourself out to him! Is that it?"

Dany stared angrily at him and slapped Jon's face so suddenly. "Don't you ever call me that again!"

Jon would not have it and grabbed Dany's arm and threw her on the bed. Dany's eyes widened in horror afraid of what he would do. But of course there was no violence in Jon, just lust and passion and jealousy. She felt his lips kissing hers and Dany responded passionately back. She had missed him terribly and his touch and kisses. Her hand started to unbutton his jacket and hurriedly pulled his breeches down while Jon untied the strings behind that held her gown and pulled it down, removing the clothes between them. The kiss grew deep and wet and Jon started to nibble the sensitive spot in her neck that made Dany gasped in pleasure.

"You will never take another man again." Jon whispered hotly in her ear before licking it and his mouth found her lips and kissed her hungrily again.

"No I won't..." Dany whimpered and kissed him more. "I love you..."

"And I love you." Jon said as his dark eyes bored into hers. "If he touches you I will kill him." He vowed in anger.

"He won't..." Dany moaned as she felt Jon entering her and the movements got more hurried as the bed creaked.

"Swear to me..." Jon demanded as he moved inside her. "Swear to me." Jon asked her again, his voice grown dark and possessive and it made her shivered in pleasure all over seeing the fiery side of him in bed. Dany bit her lip and rocked her body with his as she rose to meet his every thrust.

"I swear..." She whispered. Jon nodded and made love to her in such desperation and need that when they finally climaxed they were sweating badly.

Dany sighed in exhaustion as she leaned against Jon's chest. She smiled at her husband and Jon pulled her down and kissed her lips

"Let's not fight again Love." He said and frowned. "I hate it."

"I missed you in my bed Husband," Dany said and kissed him more.

"I missed you too Wife..." Jon said and smiled at her.

"Please do not worry about Lord Lannister," Dany said and ran her fingers through Jon's dark curls.

"He is more in love with his sister than he is with me Jon. She is far more prettier than me."

"No..." He shook his head and held his wife's chin as he gazed into her eyes. "No one is prettier than you."

"I promise you he will not touch me." Dany said and stared into Jon's dark eyes. "Trust me."

"It's him I don't trust." Jon spoke and pulled her down as he lied above her. Dany giggled seeing the dominating way he was handling her. Jon took her arms and pinned them above her head.

"You're mine Daenerys Targaryen...All mine..." Jon said with a low growl and kissed her lips passionately. He the then trailed kisses down her chin and throat and sucked on her neck that made her ticklish.

"Yes...I'm yours Jon. All Yours." Dany sighed while Jon pleasured her body even more.

One of Varys little birds who had been peeping through the Queen's chambers, from a hidden screen, smiled to herself, knowing she would have to report to the Master of Whisperers that the Royal Couple had reconciled.


	8. Chapter 8 The Queen's Lion

Chapter Eight.

The Queen had refused to send Jaime Lannister home to Casterly Rock, believing it best that he remained in the Capital. It was a cause of friction between the Royal Couple but the Queen being her stubborn Targaryen self refused to budge. Jaime of course, was pleased with the decision. Being Grand Meister, despite not having any scholarly talents had been very fruitful to him. For one, he could spend even more time with the enchanting Daenerys Targaryen. Jaime was never fond of politics. It was not his cup of tea, or his cask of ale, but Jaime didn't mind. He was serving his Queen.

"The King is not very fond of you Lord Lannister," The Queen spoke one afternoon, while both of them were having their daily tea time meetings. The Queen had asked him to play a game of cards with her and Jaime complied.

"Why Yes..." Jaime nodded as he looked at his cards. "I'm afraid I had made a bad impression to His Grace when I was last in Winterfell...The Starks are not fond of me at all.."

"He is jealous I suppose..." the Queen sighed and looked at him. She then placed one of her card down. Jaime smiled and took it before giving the Queen one of his.

"The King thinks you'll take me away from him," The Queen told him.

"And you actually encourage this feeling of envy?" Jaime asked her, rather boldly.

The Queen kept quiet and gave a coy look. She then spoke out, "My husband can be quite frosty and distant at times. It's the Northerner in him. Then there are times when he can be all fiery...I do stoke the flames in him Lord Lannister..."

"A very dangerous game you play Your Grace..." Jaime commented and looked intently at her. They exchanged cards again and Jaime groaned softly seeing that his hand of cards didn't look promising.

She only gave a simpering smile back. "But I always win Lord Lannister."

Jaime only kept quiet hearing that. He wasn't sure what the Queen was doing, playing him with her feminine wiles. Whatever it was, it seemed to work. Maybe it was the magical dragon's blood in her that made Jaime so intoxicated by her. Her charms, her smiles and her soft feminine laughter.

Jaime then cleared his throat and coughed. "Well let's just hope the King would not chop my head off in a fit of jealousy..."

"No. He would not," The Queen said firmly. "You are under my protection Lord Lannister. The King would not dare touch my Golden Lion."

The Queen grinned brightly and showed her hand of cards to Jaime and he sighed, seeing he had lost.

"I told you Lord Lannister. I always win."

He gave a small smile back to the beautiful Queen. "Of course you do Your Grace."

The Queen then looked, quite concernedly at his right hand, the one that had been severed. "I know a powerful Magi from Qarth Lord Lannister. I'm very sure he can help you recover your lost hand..."

"By magic?" Jaime asked.

"Qarth is a city of Warlocks and Magis Lord Lannister." The Queen told him. She then gave a reassuring smile. "You will get your hand back." She said.

"Why are you being so kind to me Your Grace?" Jaime asked her.

"Isn't it obvious?" The Queen asked him. "I like you Lord Lannister. I like you very much."

"I like you too. Your Grace..." Jaime told her, his green eyes never leaving hers. The Queen gave a bashful smile and Jaime realized her pale cheeks had begun to turn pink. She then breathed in and looked at Jaime.

"Is it true my father was very ungallant towards my mother?" The Queen asked him. Jaime grew quiet.

"He wasn't in a right state of mind." Jaime spoke. "There was a reason he was called the Mad King Your Grace..."

"He raped her didn't he?" The Queen asked him. "I've heard rumours and talk."

Jaime nodded and the Queen breathed in sharply. "I wanted to stop him many times." Jaime said and gave a mournful sigh. "But I didn't. It is one of my biggest regret. All I did was stood there by the door while I heard the Queen, your mother screaming in her room."

"Which is why I made Rape a capital punishment Lord Lannister." The Queen said, her voice trembled. "Rape is horrible. No woman should ever go through that."

"My first husband raped me on my wedding night..." The Queen suddenly said and Jaime looked at her, almost shocked that she would reveal it to him.

"And the nights that followed...Strange that I grew to love him," She sighed and looked at Jaime. "Maybe I am mad Lord Lannister just like my father." She laughed bitterly to herself.

"If your husband is not already dead, Your Grace, I would have killed him myself..." Jaime said, this fierceness in his voice, the thought of someone hurting his Queen.

"No Lord Lannister. If you had done that, then you would have given me twice the sorrow. I would have to kill you too and lost two men that I care about." The Queen said.

"Then I would have gladly die my Queen..." Jaime told her.

The Queen was surprised when Jaime walked to her chair and knelt before her. He bent down and kissed her hand and her ring. The Queen smiled at him and bent to kiss his forehead. She even touched a lock of his golden hair that fell to his forehead.

* * *

"You have to stop seeing her!" Tyrion roared as Jaime walked into his chambers.

Tyrion was angry by what he had heard. The Queen, Jaime and their daily meetings. So far, nothing physical has happened yet but Tyrion grew worried. He knew the Queen had a weakness for beautiful things, especially beautiful men. Before she had met Jon Snow, she had taken a few lovers. Tyrion had to keep it under wraps. It was frowned upon in Westeros society for a noblewoman to take on lovers. Of course Daenerys married Jon Snow and found her true love and happiness, but still Tyrion was worried.

"Well. Hello to you too Brother." Jaime greeted Tyrion and gave a cocky smile. He had been smiling a lot lately, Tyrion noticed. Jaime was no longer withdrawn. His spirits seemed to be lifted. From the absymal darkness being cooped up in Casterly Rock to the stratosphere. It was such a miraculous change.

"You are playing with fire here!" Tyrion warned him. "The King will not hesitate to cut your head off."

"I have the Queen's protection. He wouldn't dare touch me" Jaime said confidently and stared at his brother. "She loves me."

"She said that?" Tyrion asked, shocked to have heard it. Jaime shrugged. "Well not exactly but I can tell. The girl is falling in love with me..."

"Are you out of your fucking mind Jaime!" Tyrion screamed and shook his head.

"She asks me to stay Tyrion. I'm merely following her orders." Jaime said and gave a smile..

"Then do not play games with her. She's a child Jaime. She does not know what she's doing..."

"Oh..." Jaime uttered and a sly smile spread across his face. The one people had always said that Jaime possess, _a smile that cuts like a knife_.

"She is a minx Brother. She knows exactly what she's doing. She's bored and curious...The King probably doesn't satisfy her much being the _Boy _that he still is. Daenerys Targaryen is a Conqueror Tyrion. She has already conquered the Starks and now it's the Lannisters she's eyeing. Me. That girl plays the innocent, sweet Queen but she is a temptress inside."

"I want you out of the city Jaime!" Tyrion cried, horrified that Jaime would say it. "Go back home to Casterly Rock and stay there. It's for your protection. I will not see your head gone just because the dragon Queen wants a concubine."

"I have a debt to pay Brother. If being the Queen's _concubine _as you put it is what she wants, then I'll gladly do it. And like Father says, a Lannister always pays his debts..." Jaime said with a wink, before grinning brightly and walking off.

"Not with your head you won't!" Tyrion yelled. He stood watching as his big brother walked away.

* * *

Jon wasn't too happy with the closeness the Queen shared with the Grand Meister. In fact, he was furious. Jon was eyeing Jaime Lannister and eyeing him close. The _Lannister Arse_ as Arya had so aptly called him was a thorn in Jon's flesh. A flash point and an extremely contentious issue that had caused many fights to erupt between him and the Queen.

"Are you in love with him?" Jon asked Dany one night.

"No..." Dany shook her head. She was carrying the little Prince and nursing him. "I care for him deeply and maybe I love him in a way I would love a family member or a friend."

Dany sighed deeply and looked at her son, Little Eddy as she calls him. "He knew my family Jon. He was close to them. I guess there is this sense of familiarity that I feel around Lord Lannister."

"I still do not like it." Jon said bitterly. He heard the sound of soft crying and went to the white wooden crib where the Princess Aerysa lied. Jon smiled at his baby daughter and carried her in his arms.

"You are being jealous." Dany frowned. "When you have nothing to be jealous about. You are my husband Jon and Lord Lannister is just a friend. A very dear, good friend."

"Well maybe I should go find a friend of my own then..." Jon said looking at Dany. "A lady friend." Jon said with a bit of spite.

Dany shot him an irate look hearing that. She placed the little prince in his crib and took the princess from Jon's arms to feed her.

Jon watched as his wife fed the baby princess. It calmed him somehow seeing his babes suckling on their mother. He sighed and looked at Dany. "I don't understand why you are encouraging his feelings towards you."

"If he loves me, that means he will protect me and therefore he will be loyal and devoted." Dany explained. "I need him Jon, his Lannister armies and his warrior skills and experience for my conquest of the Shadowlands."

Dany looked gently at Jon. "Just trust me Jon, please. I will never love another the way I love you. I will never let another man take me away from you. I'm yours Jon. All yours, always yours."

He breathed in deeply and walked to his wife. He felt reassured hearing that. Jon tilted Dany's chin and stared into her eyes. "I love you too Dany. You have no idea how much I love you."

Jon then bent and kissed her lips before reluctantly pulling away. He looked at Dany, cradling their little princess, all the love in his eyes he saw it in hers as well.

"I think I do," Dany smiled sweetly.

She then looked down at their daughter. Aerysa had stopped suckling and her eyes were closed as she snuggled close to her mother's breast. Jon smiled gently seeing his daughter and touched the infant's soft cheeks. Dany started to hum a lullaby in the ancient Valyrian tongue of her ancestors, rocking their baby girl gently to sleep.

* * *

Jaime saw the Queen walking with her entourage and marched as quickly as he could towards her. She was looking beautiful and enchanting as always, dressed in a pale lilac gown that showed her shoulders. Her breasts looked full beneath the rather thin silk and she wore a silver tiara with violet amethyst gems carved like a flower so small and delicate, the silver fashioned into vines and fine leaves.

"Your Grace." Jaime bowed and greeted her with a joyous smile. He couldn't help himself, he had good news to share.

"Lord Lannister." The Queen smiled back.

Jaime then gave happy shriek and showed the Queen his right hand. It was miraculous what the Warlock from Qarth had done. But there it was, his sword's hand that he had missed and thought was gone forever. Jaime flexed his right hand, closing and opening his fist and looked excited.

"It works...It really works!" He said happily and shouted. The Queen held his hand and looked at it closely as well.

"I must reward Master Hirik well. This goes beyond any of his works that I had ever seen." The Queen said excitedly.

She then smiled at Jaime and he stared at her violet eyes. How mesmerizing they were, shining like jewels or the stars even. Jaime laughed softly. He held the Queen's waist and lifted her up much to her surprise and that of the handmaidens as well as the Queen's guards. Jaime swung her around and put her down. She was gasping and her cheeks flustered.

"I can never repay this debt Your Grace..." Jaime said breathily his eyes never leaving her beautiful face.

"Thank You." He said gratefully and humbly. "You have given me so much."

Jaime owed her everything, this beautiful queen that had pardoned his son and given his sword's hand back. She had won his heart, loyalty, love and devotion. Jaime never thought it was possible to love someone else. It had always been Cersei to him. He did care deeply for Brienne of Tarth but the Queen, the lovely Queen, with her gentle ways, soft voice and kind heart. She could take his breath away with just one look and now she had his heart.

"It doesn't matter Lord Lannister," The Queen said softly.

"My Golden Lion deserves two hands." She then smiled. "How else would he protect me?"

Jaime only laughed, too overjoyed that he lifted the Queen up again, not caring of the many eyes in court watching them.

* * *

"You have to do something about that Golden Prick Jon..." Finn Grey told the King while they were standing behind the pillars of the palace hallways that would lead to the Throne Room and Great Halls.

"He is getting too chummy with the Queen." Finn said with a frown.

They were whispering as many courtiers were walking through the halls of Red Keep. Some gathered close and talked, palace gossips mostly and a large part about the Queen and her Favoured Lord.

Jon only sighed and leaned his head against the pillar. "They are just friends Finn."

"Doesn't look like it to me..." Finn spoke. He looked around seeing the other courtiers.

"People are laughing behind your back Your Grace...They say the King stands by while he's being cuckolded. It ain't pretty Jon what the folks are sayin about you.."

"What would you have me do?" Jon asked Finn. "She won't let him go back to Casterly Rock."

"I could do it for you, if you want..." Finn said, his eyes looking straight at Jon's.

"Make it quick and easy...Make it look like he's been robbed by bandits. I heard he's leaving for the Westerlands soon. Me and the boys can strike then."

"You mean kill him?" Jon stared at Finn, shocked by the suggestion. "You want to kill him?"

"Before he takes your wife Jon..." Finn said in urgent tone. "You've got to do it. You know these Lannisters. They can't be trusted. The whole lot of them."

"No." Jon cried harshly.

Finn only gave a shrug. "It'd be easy. No one would suspect a thing. He does have many enemies you know. Say the word Your Grace and he's gone."

"No Finn..." Jon said firmly and grabbed his friend's arm. "I will not have it. As your King, I command you not to harm him. In fact I forbid it."

"You might regret this Your Grace," Finn told him and Jon only let out a tired groan. _Maybe he just might..._

But to have Jaime Lannister killed out of jealousy. It didn't seem right to Jon. He could have if he wanted to. He could order his King's guards and imprison Jaime Lannister in the dark dungeons beneath Red Keep. Jon could have marched right to Jaime's room and stab a dagger in Jaime's heart himself and not have to face a court of law for murder, being King. And it would be over. No threat of Dany ever being unfaithful to him and no risk of Jaime seducing her. Jon wouldn't have to worry about anything. Jon looked away and thought of his wife. How deeply he loved her and Jon knew Dany loved him too. _Trust..._That's what she had said. _To trust her..._

Was their love strong enough to overcome the menace of a Lion, especially one as deceptive and cunning as Jaime Lannister, who obviously had his eye on the Queen? Jon had to believe it was. They loved each other. They had two beautiful children together, and would maybe have more in the future. Dany had said, she needed him by her side where they would rule together as one unstoppable force. They were destined for each other, Dany had reminded him. Fire and Ice. But she needed her Golden Lion too.

* * *

The King and Queen were in the War Room that afternoon. There was a discussion of battle strategy and plans for the conquest of the East. Jon looked at his wife, Dany had been standing on the large scale map of the known world that was on the floor, made up of mosaic tiles. She looked down staring at the small wooden ships and figures of cavalry and men that were strategically placed in parts of Essos. Jaime Lannister was there next to the Queen and so was Ser Loras Tyrell, the ever so reluctant knight as Varys had said.

Ser Loras stood there, straight and rather rigid. He was dressed in his armor and uniform, being made Lord Commander of the City Watch. His eyes looking nowhere. Jon knew the Tyrells despised him. They put the blame of the massacre squarely on him even though Jon never ordered it. His royal seal was on the death warrants and his signature and the Tyrells believed him to be a tyrant and the murderer of innocents. Jon started to hate being King. The politics were beginning to grate his nerves. He had even missed the simple, solitary life of being a Night's watchman despite being exposed to the extreme cold and the dangers it brought of wildlings and White Walkers. But then, he'd be without Dany, without his children and Jon breathed, realizing that his family meant more to him than anything else.

Dany and him had made social reforms thinking it would be for the good of all, only to face the fury of the powerful Lords and their noble Houses. Taxes were raised slightly to pay for the construction of proper schools and clinics and everyone was unhappy with that. It was better, the people of Westeros feel to raid the East of their riches and send it back home than raising even one coin of taxes. The Seven Kingdoms weren't too happy when The Queen called the people in conquered Essos her people too and deserved the same rights.

Many from the Free Cities had migrated to the Capital, King's Landing and the other great cities in the Crownlands and the natives weren't too happy with the influx of immigrants. There were problems in the East too. The people in the Free Cities of Essos had a riot when grains from their countries were shipped to Westeros claiming that that they were treated unjustly by the foreign rulers when the grains were actually paid for through trade.

It seemed that he could not make everyone happy. But Jon remembered what his father had always said. _Do what is right and honourable and let the rest be..._ That was what Jon kept telling himself. That what he did was right. He looked around and wondered where his sister went and Jon remembered that Arya had travelled north to Winterfell to visit the family and to bring Rickon home. Having Arya close by his side gave Jon comfort and security, at least his little sister was there with him. Arya who had adored Jon and looked up to him. He could do no wrong in her eyes.

"We could sail down the Narrow Sea, right around the nine cities to Slaver's Bay, saving at least three days rather than travelling inland," Ser Loras spoke as he pushed the wooden ships down the map, using a wooden pole.

"Yes..." The Queen nodded, scratching her chin as she looked pensive. Her eyes looking at the map as she surveyed it.

"But you will face the fury of the storms..." Jaime said and looked at the Queen. "Especially near the cape..."

She smiled at him and Jaime smiled back. Jon rolled his eyes seeing that and cleared his throat rather loudly that everyone stopped and looked at him.

"Or we could just ride my dragons straight to the Valyrian peninsular..." The Queen spoke out.

Jaime gave an expression that looked like he was weighing the suggestion and then nodded in agreement. "Not a bad one your Grace."

"Yes..." Ser Loras said tersely. "But can they carry the armies with them your Grace?"

"Well no..." The Queen sighed and looked at her husband. "They only let me ride them and so far the King has been the only other one." The Queen then looked at both knights.

"Only Targaryens can ride dragons my Lords..." She explained.

"But the King is from the House of Stark..." Ser Loras pointed out, his face was one of astonishment.

"Why yes..." The Queen said, almost fumbling with her words. "But we are wed, so he is Targaryen by marriage and my dragons know that. They recognize the King as my one true mate."

Dany then looked at him. "What do you think Jon?" She asked him. "Should we sail down the cape and brave the storms or ride through the Nine cities?"

"I'd prefer to travel through the lands," Jon replied and smiled at his wife. "I've never been to the East."

Ser Loras gave a loud sigh of disagreement and shook his head of blonde curls. "With all due respect Your Grace. This is a conquest. Not an expedition to travel the lands."

Hearing that made Dany frowned. "With all due respect Ser Loras, we will do as the King commands..." She said rather coldly to the knight.

"Of course Your Grace..." Ser Loras spoke apologetically, his eyes were downcast as he realized the Queen had just talked down to him. Dany then looked at Jon and gave a crooked grin, one he returned with a wink

Lady Arya came walking in and she brought a man with her. Jon smiled brightly seeing his younger sister, whose presence he had missed so much. Jon recognized the young man. He was the one who had helped Arya up at the Grand Tourney after she had fallen from the horse, defeated by Jaime Lannister in joust.

"Oh Sorry..." Arya announced in her usual blustering way.

She was surprised seeing Ser Loras and Jaime Lannister in the room. Arya then realized that she had interrupted what looked to be a very important meeting.

"Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence Lady Stark...Your absence has been missed," Jaime Lannister said in usual sarcasm, giving his toothy grin that made Arya scowled.

"I wish the feeling is mutual Lord Lannister. But sadly to say that, would be a lie," Arya responded prickly back.

Jon snickered silently to himself. Arya glanced closely and realized that Jaime Lannister had two hands instead of one. She wondered how it even happened and if it was a dummy made out of plaster.

"Your Graces..." Arya smiled and bowed to the King and Queen.

"Oh come here dear Sister..." Dany called her and pulled Arya in for a warm hug. "Doesn't she grow even more beautiful every day Jon?"

"She does," Jon smiled in agreement.

Arya had grown beautiful as she became more a woman and less the girl Jon had always been protective of. Her long dark hair and shining blue eyes, she had grown tall and willowy. People in Winterfell had said that she looked so much like her aunt, Lyanna Stark. They both shared similar characteristics as well. Lyanna Stark was known to be quite a headstrong young woman. One who was outspoken and intelligent. Jon went to his sister and pulled her in for a fierce hug. He hadn't seen Arya in two weeks and it felt good to have her with him again.

"I've missed you..." Jon whispered to his sister.

"And I missed you too Brother," Arya said and pulled away before kissing Jon's cheek. "So does Bran and even Mother."

Arya smiled at her brother, the King. "She doesn't say it though but Mother asked about you and the Queen and your babies."

"And who might you be?" Jaime asked looking at the young man that walked in with Arya. He stood there, rather unsure, carrying a metal helmet with two horns.

"Your Graces..." He said shyly and bowed at the King and Queen. Arya smiled happily and walked to the young man. She took the young man's arm and brought him to her brother.

"This is Gendry Waters, the one I told you about..." Arya said and gave a soft giggle. "We are going to be married Jon."

"Oh..." Jon uttered as he looked at the young man and then smiled at him.

He didn't know what he felt about it. Seeing his dearest little sister married. Jon was happy for her, but at the same time he felt sad. Jon didn't want to lose Arya. If she was married, she'd be busy living somewhere else with her new family and raising children when Jon needed Arya with him, in Red Keep as his Hand and counsel.

"You're Robert Baratheon's bastard aren't you?" Jaime asked the young man as he looked at him and studied him close.

"Lord Lannister!" Arya cried. "Mind your words..."

"Sorry..." Jaime said casually, without really meaning it.

Jon scowled at Jaime who only shrugged and ignored it. Jaime went back to the large scale map and started discussing quietly with Ser Loras.

"Then we should hold a wedding here..." Dany said with a bright smile. She went to Jon and Jon pulled the Queen in his arms.

"Yes..." Jon said with a smile and looked at his wife and sister. "We should hold a grand wedding here for my dear sister."

"No..." Arya shook her head and Jon looked at his sister. "I want to be wed in Winterfell Jon, near the Godswood. I want the whole family to be there and Mother too."

"Of course..." Jon said solemnly and gave a nod. That was what Arya wanted and Jon had to respect her decision.

Jon looked at Dany and she smiled softly, agreeing to it. Jon hugged his wife and kissed her head firmly. He looked ahead seeing that Jaime was standing there, just watching them. Jon met the Lannister man's green gaze. Jon didn't like the way Jaime was eyeing both him and the Queen. Jon pulled Dany closer in his arms, staking his claim, letting Jaime Lannister know that the Queen was off limits. That Dany belonged to him and him alone. That there was no way Jon was going to let the Golden Lion or anyone for that matter take his Dragon Queen away.

* * *

"I don't think they like me much," Gendry said while he and Arya were walking in the courtyard of Red Keep Palace.

It was a strange experience to finally meet the King and Queen in private. And then of course the _Lannister Arse_ as Arya referred Jaime Lannister to was there making his audacious remark. Gendry didn't care really. He was used to being called Bastard. Arya seemed more offended by Jaime's remark than Gendry was.

"Don't be silly. My brother will adore you..." Arya said as she squeezed Gendry's hand. Gendry only looked at her doubtfully.

"Me the blacksmith who is the bastard son of Robert Baratheon?" Gendry mumbled.

"Did you know that both our fathers were best friends?" Arya asked him.

"What good did it do anyway?" Gendry muttered. Arya frowned at him. "You worry too much you know..."

"And you don't worry at all," Gendry argued. "What would they all say? Lady Arya Stark, Hand of the Queen married to a blacksmith?"

"Well...I've asked Jon to make you Master of the Horses and he agreed." Arya grinned happily. "There my Love...nothing to worry about." She said and kissed his lips.

"Master of the Horses?" Gendry uttered in surprise and he looked at Arya, rather confused by the term. "What does that even mean?"

"It means you'll be in charge of all the horses belonging to the Crown." Arya explained with a sigh.

"Then I'll rather be a blacksmith." Gendry grumbled. "I can't stand horses and their stinking poo..."

"Fine... I'll make you the Royal Armourer alright." Arya said, rolling her eyes

"I don't need or want all this fancy titles really..." Gendry said with a charming smile. "As long as I have you, the most beautiful and bravest girl in all the lands to be my wife."

"Stop it." Arya scowled. She was never a fan of sweet talk, thinking it silly. Only Sansa would be foolish enough to fall for that and fawn over the charms of men.

"And the grumpiest..." Gendry teased.

"If you tease me again, Gendry Waters! I'll not cook for you once we're married." Arya said in an irritated tone.

"You can cook?" Gendry asked, almost alarmed by the notion. He looked rather horrified.

"Well I can try..." Arya said confidently, smiling sweetly at him. "I've seen how it's done."

"It's probably easy Gen. I mean if I can beat men at joust and swordsfighting. I'm sure I can do a silly thing like cooking or sewing and other silly Lady things."

Gendry only kept quiet and smiled to himself as they walked in the courtyard, linking arms. He knew it better than to argue with his fiancée. Arya was a fierce warrior. He wouldn't want to ruffle the shewolf's fur in any way.

* * *

_Ashemark, The Westerlands_

It was their nameday and Jaime knew he had to ride back to the Westerlands to visit his beloved twin. He didn't want Cersei to spend her nameday by herself. Cersei was under house arrest in a country estate few miles east of Ashemark castle. She was busy with her needles, sewing a tapestry and a few handmaidens were helping her. When Jaime walked in, Cersei threw everything down and rushed to hug him, happy to have him there.

"Oh Jaime," She sighed. "How I have missed you..." She hugged her twin tighter and moved to kiss his lips.

Jaime then pulled away from her and Cersei was surprised by it. She then stepped back and looked at her handmaidens. She realized that maybe Jaime didn't want their passionate displays to be seen by others.

"Leave us." Cersei ordered in her authoritative tone.

They nodded and left the drawing room. It was only the both of them. Cersei then smiled at her twin and embraced him. She gently caressed Jaime's cheeks and touched his right arm. Cersei then realized that Jaime's right hand was there. It wasn't gone.

"How did this happen?" Cersei asked him as she held Jaime's right hand.

"The Queen," Jaime smiled. "She had one of her warlocks from Qarth to heal me..."

"Really?" Cersei spoke almost in indignation. She then pulled Jaime closer and pressed her body onto his and moved to kiss his lips. Jaime only pushed her away.

"Cersei stop it!" He cried and moved away from her.

"What is wrong?" Cersei asked as she looked at her twin, shocked that he would do that. He never refused her advances.

"We cannot do this any longer." Jaime told her and looked away.

"Why?" Cersei asked him. She took Jaime's arm but he pulled away. "Do you not love me anymore?"

"You are my sister. Of course I love you Cersei." Jaime sighed. "I will always love you."

"Sister?" Cersei screamed as if Jaime had insulted her. "I am your Beloved Jaime! Your true half! Mother of your three children!"

"No Cersei." Jaime told her in a firm tone. "What we had has passed. Things will not be the same again. I've come here because you are my twin sister and the thought of you alone on our nameday pains me..."

"There is someone else isn't there?" Cersei suddenly asked him. She stood there and studied him close. She could see it somehow the change in her twin. There was something different about him. Jaime seemed to avert his gaze, not wanting to look at her.

"You're in love with someone else." She uttered, her voice sounded defeated. She could feel it, he was slipping away from her and Cersei wondered if she would ever have her beloved Jaime back.

"I can't visit you anymore." Jaime said rather abruptly. "I'll be busy in King's Landing."

"Doing what?" Cersei scoffed in alarm.

"I'm Grand Meister there and the Queen has made me an advisor in the Small Council." Jaime informed her. "I will be away for a long while, helping the Queen in her campaign to conquer the Shadowlands."

"The Queen! The Queen!" Cersei gritted in anger. "That's all you've been saying since you got here..." Cersei glared at her brother. "I was Queen once and I've never even seen such loyalty and devotion from you."

"Don't be crazy Cers, you know I would have died for you once..."

"Once?" Cersei stared at her brother starkly. "Once? But not now?"

"Things have changed..." Jaime quietly admitted.

"You are in love with her aren't you?" Cersei asked moving closer to Jaime, the color draining from her beautiful, proud face when she realized it. Who the other woman was. The one Jaime had fallen for. "You're in love with the Targaryen whore..."

"You will not say that of her!" Jaime cried, his face had turned furious as he shoved Cersei away from him. "I will not have you speak of her in that way!"

"She's a good person Cersei. She spared Tommen's life when she could have eliminated every single threat to her Throne. But she didn't." Jaime told his twin. His tone sounded mellow when he thought of Daenerys. "The Queen gave me my hand back. I owe her my life."

Jaime wanted Cersei to understand. He had hoped that maybe Cersei would forgive him for loving another. But of course Jaime had underestimated how cold hearted and cruel his twin was and had always been.

"I hope he kills you Jaime." Cersei spoke, her eyes glaring hatefully at him. "I hope that Stark Bastard rips your head and limbs apart for loving his wife..." Cersei said with unrestrained vitriol.

"Why would you want that?" Jaime looked at Cersei shocked by the violent imagery of her words and that she would want him dead.

"Because you love another Jaime and I'd rather see you die a torturous death than have you love someone else and live...That would be less painful to me." She said sadly.

Cersei took the tapestry that she had been working on for months and threw it into fireplace. She watched as the flames lapped and burnt the fabric. It was a beautiful tapestry of a lion and a lioness, grazing on the fields with the castle of Casterly Rock in the background. The cloth was crimson red and the thread gold. She had wanted to give it to Jaime as a nameday gift. But it didn't matter to anymore. She saw it in Jaime's face and heard it in his voice. How fiercely he had defended his new Queen and new Love and it hurt Cersei, more than she thought it would. How was it even possible to ever feel such pain after all she had gone through? She thought she was immuned to it.

Cersei looked out the window, remembering what _Maggy the Frog_ had said. The prophecy the magi had told her when she was a young woman. That a young, beautiful Queen would one day take everything away from her. For years Cersei had thought that it would be Sansa Stark, which was why she treated the girl unkindly. But when Margaery Tyrell wedded Joffrey and later Tommen, Cersei realized she could be the one in the prophecy but it turned out to be Daenerys Targaryen. The one Cersei had least expected and never saw coming. The Targaryen Queen took Jaime away from her when she had already lost nearly everything except for her twin and Cersei would never forgive her for that slight. In fact Cersei was determined to make the young Queen pay dearly.


	9. Chapter 9 Secrets & Assassination

Chapter Nine.

It had been bothering Tyrion Lannister for a long while. Ever since the twins' birth, Tyrion found it odd that the twins had silver, platinum blonde hair and violet eyes, especially when their father was dark haired and dark eyed and had very Stark like features. He had been secretly trying to figure things out with a few scholars or Meisters in the Capital.

When a Targaryen married another house, like Rhaelle Targaryen, Robert's grandmother who married a Baratheon, their children almost never inherit the Targaryen's colouring of silver hair and violet eyes. Rhaelle's children had dark hair, raven to be exact, following the Baratheon's dominant coloring. He had looked closely at the documents and scriptures and the various scrolls listing the family tree and genealogy of the various noble Houses.

"Do you know how Ned Stark figured out that all three of Cersei's children weren't Robert's?" Tyrion asked Bronn, his good friend, closest confidante. _The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms_ was on the table as Tyrion looked at the great, heavy book, studying it closely.

"How? He smelled your sister's cunt and realized something ain't right..." Bronn crudely commented and Tyrion scowled.

"No hair colour, Bronn...Ned Stark realized that none of Cersei's children had Robert's colouring when all his bastards do."

Bronn was made a Lord and had a fairly large sized estate in the Westerlands. He had been a loyal friend to Tyrion and Tyrion saw to it that Bronn was rewarded well. Despite being a Lord, he was still his usual, rugged self, never wanting to dress like a _pansy nobleman_ as Bronn had once said.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Bronn grunted.

"Well Dear Friend, if only you had been paying attention. We all take after our parents don't we?"

"Maybe Robert's children took after their mother more?" Bronn suggested.

"Yes...Sadly," Tyrion sighed. "Joffrey was as power hungry as Cersei but he lacked her brains."

He then looked at Bronn, "The thing is Lord Bronn..."

"Oh Stop!" Bronn groaned. "I'm sick of this Lord business..."

"Well you are a Lord..." Tyrion quipped. Bronn rolled his eyes and cussed.

"As I was saying..." Tyrion stressed and looked at Bronn.

"Robert Baratheon was dark haired, Cersei had golden Lannister locks. Dark hair trumps Gold. Always has. Historically, any fair haired Lannister who married a Baratheon had dark haired children, none with the golden Lannister locks."

"Well. Ain't that a shame..." Bronn gave a sarcastic quip as he smirked at Tyrion.

"But two golden haired parents produce golden haired children..." Tyrion explained. "Thus came Ned Stark's conclusion that my sister Cersei had been fucking her twin and bred three bastards...Sadly he lost his head for that...and the rest as they say is history."

"Can we get right to the point here?" Bronn asked giving Tyrion a bored look. Tyrion was known to be quite aggravatingly long winded.

"I don't think the children are his..." Tyrion breathed and looked at Bronn.

"What?" Bronn stared at Tyrion.

"The children are not the King's Bronn. There is no way that Jon Snow could be their father..."

"Are you saying that the Queen..." Bronn then stopped not knowing how to continue.

"The Queen had probably bedded a fellow Targaryen, which is why the children had Targaryen colouring."

"What? Prince Aegon?" Bronn was shocked. He was the only Targaryen male left. One with silver hair and violet eyes.

"It could explain why she kept him locked in Dragonstone and refused to kill him."

"These are serious accusations Lord Lannister." Bronn frowned. "The Queen could have your head for that."

"I'm just figuring things out Bronn..." Tyrion heaved.

"Maybe the King has Targaryen blood?" Bronn suggested. "Have you ever consider that? We never knew who his mother was."

"Why..." Tyrion muttered as he pondered about it in his head. It could be possible. "I think you might have a point there Friend." Tyrion smiled brightly at Bronn and patted his arm.

"See I've always known that you're more intelligent than you let on Lord Bronn."

Bronn grunted and rolled his eyes again before sighing. The years he had spent with Tyrion Lannister were testing at times but he had grown fond of the little man and they had become close friends. He would have done anything for Tyrion.

* * *

_Winterfell._

The ceremony was simple yet beautiful held in the Godswood of Winterfell. Jon watched as his sister, Arya became a married woman. A simple handfasting and offerings were burnt as Arya and Gendry said their vows over the flames and were bound in matrimony. The twins were in King's Landing, safe in the palace with many guards and handmaidens with them as well as Varys and Finn Grey to look out for them. Dany had thought that they were too young and too little to be brought up north. The banquet was held at Winterfell and the Starks weren't too happy that Jaime Lannister was present. None had forgotten that Jaime was the one who pushed Bran from the tower leading to the young man losing the use of both his legs. Starks weren't quick to forgive and neither do they forget any slights.

Dany had brought her Master Magi, Master Hirik to Winterfell, believing that the powerful Warlock could heal Bran as well. Bran wasn't too sure of it. Jon went to his brother's room to try to convince him but Bran shook his head in protest. He didn't want to be healed, especially not by some Warlock from a far away land.

"Father says you have to be careful," Bran told Jon on the night of the Wedding banquet while they were in Bran's room

"What do you mean?" Jon asked his brother, surprised Bran would say that.

"I dreamed of him sometimes." Bran said. "He kept saying that _Winter is coming_. Over and over again."

"Maybe it's just your imagination." Jon said with a sigh.

"No this is different." Bran shook his head. "Father says going to The East would be a mistake. He says the others will strike if the Dragon and the Wolf leaves Westeros."

Jon stared at his brother, shocked that Bran had knowledge he and Dany were going to the East.

Bran looked at Jon solemnly. "Father says he's sorry. He's sorry he left us. And he wants Mother to forgive him. And he wants you to forgive him too."

"Forgive him for what?" Jon asked.

"Forgive him for his sins..." Bran said quietly.

Jon wasn't sure what his brother meant. It sounded ominous and rather cryptic. But he kept thinking about it throughout the banquet. Even his wife, the Queen realized that Jon was elsewhere. He wasn't really enjoying much of the festivities.

* * *

Dany sighed wondering what it was her husband was brooding about. She looked ahead and smiled seeing Sansa Stark dancing with Ser Loras Tyrell. It was obvious that the young woman was infatuated with the handsome knight. Dany wondered if Sansa knew that Ser Loras was once lovers with Renly Baratheon. She saw Jaime Lannister talking with his brother Tyrion and Jaime looked away from Tyrion. The discussion didn't seem to go well. Jaime looked at her and gave her a smile, one of those dazzling golden smiles of his.

Lord Lannister was a very handsome man and normally Dany would have already taken such a man as her lover. But the circumstances had changed. She was happily married and even though Dany was very attracted to Jaime Lannister, she had promised Jon, her husband, mate and King that she would be a loyal and faithful wife. But it was always nice to have a devoted admirer by her side and Dany used that to her advantage. She had known how her beauty affected men. It was one of her strengths. She realized that the men of Westeros often liked to play the role of the gallant hero, having a weakness for soft spoken, gentle ladies.

Even Ser Loras with his obvious preference for his own sex would play the role. He was charming and courteous with Sansa and made her feel like she was the only girl in the world when he talked to her. Dany smiled to herself while she observed the banquet. Everyone was playing a role, putting their masks and reciting their lines. There was Tyrion, the Hand of the King, all knowing and using witty and sarcastic quips as a shield to divert any ineptitude. Jaime, always so confident but he had his insecurities too. Lady Stark the sternfaced matriarch who still mourns for the son and husband she had lost. It was like a play Dany had seen in an amphitheatre when she was in Volantis where the actors wore masks and costumes to entertain the crowds. No one was who they seemed to be.

Except for Jon. His honesty was both his strength and weakness. That and his unflinching honour to the right thing. It was all there, bare and open. No fancy rehearsed lines or charming smiles. Just Jon Snow himself. With his awkward, flinty ways, his reserved distant manners seemed cold and disdainful to many who didn't know the real him. But Dany knew how fiercely protective Jon was and how deeply and passionately he loved. Of everyone present in the banquet Jon, was the only one with nothing to hide. Except for his thoughts of course. That was the only thing he had to himself. Dany had wished he would share it with her. But he was a proud man. Jon had probably thought it best not to worry his wife.

_Oh how she loved him._ Dany thought as she looked at his face. His eyes, dark, haunting, sad and melancholy all in one. The fine moustache and beard that he had on his face. And she knew she had to protect him from the all other beasts in the forests. The lions, stags and foxes and even the occasional snakes that slithered through. She had to save her beloved wolf. No one would dare to fight the dragon.

Dany moved closer in her chair and leaned on Jon's shoulder. She held her husband's hand, squeezing it. She loved how big it was and how warm it felt. Jon then came out from his far away thoughts and looked at her.

"Welcome back..." Dany whispered and kissed her husband's lips.

He gave a smile that graced his brooding face and kissed her again. "I never left." Jon said bemused by her words.

"I know..." Dany smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

Jon took her hand and brought it to his lips kissing it. "So am I my Love...so am I," He muttered softly.

* * *

A maid brought the Queen a chalice of wine and she smiled as she took it. Jon wondered why the wine was only served to his wife and not to him. It was probably a split second, he just stared at his wife laughing to herself while she watched the wedding festivities. The dancing and music and Dany brought the chalice up to her lips. Jon looked at the maid who had walked away. She turned back to look at The Queen for a while. She looked rather nervous and her movements seemed fidgety and awkward. It was then, Jon realized that he had never seen the maid before. Who was she? She was definitely not from Red Keep castle or from Winterfell.

"No!" Jon screamed as his wife took a sip of the wine.

"_NO!" _

It burst out so suddenly. His scream of horror. Jon had thought that he lost his voice because the music and the noise of the banquet were just so overwhelming. Dany turned and stared at him and dropped the chalice of wine, before holding her throat. It looked like she was in pain. The very worst of pain.

"Jon..." She uttered his name and he immediately took Dany into his arms.

"Dany!" He screamed. His eyes widened in horror seeing the look in her face. Her pallor had gone pale. Color drained from her cheeks and she began to foam at the mouth.

"No...No..." Jon said as he held in her arms. She stared at him, breathing heavily

"Seize the girl!" Jaime Lannister screamed and the guards ran after the maid who tried to flee.

There was a flurry in the banquet hall when everyone realized that the Queen might have just been poisoned. People were screaming in a panic, the King's and Queen's guards closing in. Lady Stark, Arya and Sansa rushed to where the Queen was lying weak in the King's arms. Tyrion ran as fast as he could to the Queen.

Jon immediately carried Dany in his arms. "Someone get the physician!" He screamed. "Get Master Hirik too..."

Nothing mattered anymore as he held her in his arms and hurried to the bed chamber. He looked down at his wife seeing her weakened as the moments passed. She closed her eyes as she groaned.

"No Dany don't..." Jon said hurriedly. "Stay with me...stay with me..."

"I feel so cold Jon..." She whispered and trembled badly in his arms.

"I'm here Dany...Don't close your eyes." Jon told her urgently. _Don't go Dany...Don't leave me...Please don't leave me._

He kicked the door open as he entered the chamber. The Stark women and Dany's handmaidens were behind him as he placed Dany on the bed. The Royal physician came rushing in carrying his bag and so did Master Hirik. The physician gave Dany some medicine to drink. She closed her eyes and fell unconscious. Jon sat there staring at her beautiful face before crying desperately as he held her close to him.

* * *

Jaime stood outside the chamber carrying a sword in his right hand. Tyrion came out looking rather mournful. And Jaime groaned softly. He felt as if his insides were in such wretched pain. If the Queen dies, Jaime didn't know what he'd do. He never thought he could care for someone else as easily and deeply as he did Daenerys. But there Jaime was silently and desperately praying that the Queen, his beloved Queen would survive.

"The Queen grows weaker..." He said quietly and Jaime gave a sad nod. "Who is the girl?" Tyrion asked Jaime.

"A handmaiden..." Jaime said and gave a sad sigh. "One of Cersei's."

"What?" Tyrion grew furious hearing that. He didn't even understand how his sister could be involved in an assassination attempt when she was under house arrest in Ashemarke.

"She wants me to suffer..." Jaime said as he leaned his head against the wall. "For loving another."

"I'd always thought you'd be the one in danger Jaime for loving the Queen." Tyrion said in a bitter tone. "It seems that I was wrong."

"Will she live?" Jaime asked Tyrion. "The Queen?"

Tyrion looked at his big brother seeing that Jaime's eyes were welling with tears. "I don't know Jaime...The Warlock gave a potion...I hope to the gods it works."

"Where is the girl?" Tyrion asked Jaime.

"In the dungeon," Jaime replied. "I'll let the King have her head. Cersei's mine." He said vehemently before leaving.

* * *

He sat on the bed, his wife in his arms. Dany was burning up and trembling violently but Jon only held her closer. He could not be away from her. He didn't care what they all said that the Queen needed to rest upright, her head on the pillow. He had to hold Dany close. He couldn't leave her. Jon prayed as hard as he could. To the Old gods and the new ones. To any higher power out there that could answer his prayers. He heard the sharp roars and Jon looked out the window. The dragons were outside, circling around as they flew above Winterfell. As if they knew their Mother was in pain and they were crying out to her.

"Save her please..." Jon whispered desperately as he planted a firm kiss on Dany's feverish forehead. "I swear I won't ask for anything else. Save her...I can't be without her...I am nothing without her."

He heard a knock on the door and Jon turned. Catelyn Stark had came walking in. She looked at him sympathetically and a maidservant was next to her carrying a tray of stew and some bread.

"You should eat Your Grace," Catelyn told him softly.

"I'm not hungry." Jon said quietly. Catelyn gave a small sigh and walked towards the bed dragging her wooden staff with her. The Queen was lying there, trembling as her eyes closed, her head on the King's lap as he held her hand, squeezing.

"You will overcome this Jon," Catelyn said and Jon looked at her as she sat by the bedside.

"I don't think I can..." Jon responded in a woebegone voice. "If I lose her, I don't know what I'd do. She's everything to me Lady Stark. I'd be nothing without her. I have been nothing until I've met her."

"No..." Catelyn said firmly and shook her head. "You're the son of Eddard Stark. You've never been nothing Jon. You've always been a Stark."

Jon looked at Catelyn and met her gentle gaze so different from the hostile, cold, hateful stares she would normally give him in the past. The way Catelyn looked at him, the same tender way that he had seen her look at any of her five children. He gave a sad smile to Catelyn and he looked at Dany lying there. Her breathing had gotten less ragged and Jon could feel her pulse getting weaker.

* * *

_Dany was somewhere. She didn't know where exactly. The halls were dark except for the occasional candle. But it looked like Winterfell and Dany was walking down its halls. Strange that no one seemed to notice her. She looked around. It was dark and there was a woman wearing a hooded cloak. Dany looked at her and called out her name._

_"Arya..."_

_Except it wasn't really Arya. Just someone who looked like her. Beautiful and tall, with dark hair the colour of chestnuts and blue gray eyes. The woman slipped away in the night and rode a horse from the stables. It looked like she was running away and Dany wanted to follow her. Then it was all mist and fog and she was somewhere else._

_It looked like the forested area outside of Winterfell. She saw the mysterious woman in the cloak. The woman got off her horse and there was a man, there. He too wore a cloak and when he took the hood off. Dany stared at him. It was her brother Rhaegar. Tall, broad shoulders with long mane of silvery blonde hair. His violet eyes shimmered brightly even in the dark. He looked handsome just as everyone described him to be._

_He pulled the woman in and kissed her passionately and then Dany knew who the woman was. Lyanna Stark. She had gone out of Winterfell to meet the prince. The Prince smiled at Dany and said to her. "The dragon must have three heads Dany..."_

_"I don't understand..."_

_Lyanna looked at her and smiled. She then held her belly. Dany saw that she was pregnant. Did Lyanna had a child? Rhaegar's child. But who? Dany then realized she was transported somewhere else. The freezing temperatures made her shiver terribly._

_The Wall. It was cold and snowing heavily. Dany smiled seeing Jon standing there in his Night's watchman garb of black. She had dreamed of it so many times. Jon with the snow falling on him and the stark white background of ice. Jon was staring at the sky seeing the aurora borealis that danced around, the streaks of green and blue that coloured the twilight sky._

_"Jon!" She called her husband. He turned and smiled at her._

_"What are we doing here?" Dany asked him as she walked to where he was_

_"I don't know Dany. It's your dream..." Jon said and gave a shrug. Dany shook her head and circled her arms around him._

_"I'm cold..." She whispered in his chest and he hugged closer._

_"Look..." Jon spoke and pointed to the sky. Dany looked up and saw the three headed dragon painted by the dancing northern lights. The dragon must have three heads._

_She then stared at Jon's face as she realized. "It's you...You're the one..."_

_Jon only smiled handsomely back before bending to kiss her lips. Dany pulled her lips away from him and looked at his face, one she had loved for so long._

_"We belong together Dany..." Jon said as he held her close and bent to kiss her forehead. "Fire and Ice."_

_"How do I tell you my Love..." Dany sighed as she held his cheek gently, loving the feel of his beard on her fingertips._

_"Tell me what?" Jon asked her and gave one of his rare smiles that seemed to brighten everything that was dark in her life. She only stared at him, to afraid to even murmur it in this strange dream of hers. What would Jon do if he knew?_

_'Tell you something I've suspected for a long while but only confirmed it now. That you're no son of Eddard Stark my Love. You're like me. A Targaryen with dragon's blood in your veins.'_

_"You can't stay here..."_

_Dany turned around when she heard a gruff male's voice talking to her. She stared at the man standing there. He was tall and middle aged with rugged looks that might have been handsome when he was younger. He had dark brown hair that touched his shoulders. He had a trimmed beard and dark gray eyes. He was serious looking, his mouth was stern. The man was dressed in dark brown tunic with a leather jacket over it. She saw the head of a direwolf pin on his jacket. She then realized that Jon was no longer there and Dany grew fearful, wondering where he had gone to._

_"You have to go back..." The man told her. "He needs you. My son needs you."_

_"You're Ned Stark." Dany uttered as she just looked at him close. The man gave a nod. It was then Dany realized that maybe she had somehow died too, because she was there talking to the late Lord of Winterfell._

_"Jon may not be my real son but I love him like he was my own." Ned said. He sounded and looked quite despondent.  
_

_"What do I tell him?" Dany asked Ned._

_"The truth." Ned said with a sad sigh. "He deserves to know the truth. It was kept from him for his protection and I died before ever telling him or my wife."_

_"And if he leaves me?" Dany asked, her voice trembling. The thought of it, she was too afraid to even imagine it in her head. That Jon would leave her out of shame.  
_

_"You have nothing to be afraid of," Ned told her and gave a small smile. "You're Queen now. You'll be alright on your own. You've made it this far."_

_"No..." Dany shook her head. "You don't understand I can't do this without him. I love him Lord Stark. I would rather die now than live and lose him."_

_"You have a duty and responsibility to your people. You can't abandon them and your children too..." Ned said to her in a paternal tone._

_"You are a Targaryen Queen. If you die Your Grace, there will be war. The Iron Throne, peace and stability of the realm and the Seven Kingdoms are more important than just one man."_

_"He is not just one man!" Dany cried. "He is my husband and he is my King. Jon is my everything!"_

_"And you are his Your Grace." Ned said in a quiet tone. "You are everything to him too._

_"If Jon knows that he is Rhaegar's son. It will destroy him." Dany sobbed and covered her face with both hands. "I can't bear it. I can't bear to see him hurt. I'd rather carry the burden of such a secret with me."_

_"Secrets are never good Your Grace," Ned sighed sadly. "They always have a way of coming out..."_

Dany felt the cold creeping in and gasped loudly before everything went dark and engulfed her completely. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw Jon staring at her, tears in his eyes. Dany groaned softly and Jon only moved to hug her while she lied on the bed, not knowing she had been unconscious for the last four days.

"I thought I lost you..." He whispered and Dany felt the tears that fell from his eyes.

"You'll never lose me Jon..." She told him softly back as her arms embraced him.

* * *

They lied in each other's arms, it would just be too painful and bittersweet to be away from the other. Dany smiled at Jon and gently touched his beard. He gazed lovingly at her and kissed her lips. He pulled her in his arms, he had never been so grateful and relieved to have his wife there with him. Alive and well.

"What would you have done if I had died?" She asked him gently. They were lying next to each other, side by side, gazing at each other's faces.

"I would have wanted to die with you." He told her, his eyes sad and haunting.

"But you wouldn't right?" Dany asked.

Jon shook his head. "You told me to care for our little ones... I wouldn't want them to be without their father too. But I would feel as if I had died Dany. Not having you here with me. I'd rather take your place..."

He sounded so passionate as he held her face and kissed her forehead.

"If it was you who had died Jon. I would kill myself..." Dany told him, her violet eyes staring intently at his.

Jon sighed and pulled her closer, embracing her as her face rest on his chest. He smelled her hair, the scent of flowers that was the sweetest thing he had ever smelled in all his life.

"You can't Dany..." Jon said as he touched her hair and kissed her head. "You can't die. You're Queen and you're the mother to our children."

"I would Jon...I can't live without you," Dany sobbed softly. "That's why we have to survive and grow old together," She said and looked up at him.

"I don't ever want to lose you Jon. It would destroy me."

"You know I'll never leave you my Love. I promised you didn't I?" Jon said tenderly and ran his fingers through her long silver blonde locks. "No matter what happens." He said and kissed her lips.

"Even if you know the truth?" Dany asked him. Her violet eyes were wet and vulnerable.

"The truth about what Dany?"

"About who you really are. Your mother and father..." Dany continued.

"My father is Eddard Stark Dany." Jon spoke, dark eyes staring at her intensely, "I don't know who my mother was and it does not matter."

"Do you really believe that?" Dany asked him.

"That's the past Dany." Jon sighed. "Maybe they loved each other. I wouldn't know..." Jon then looked at his wife. He wondered why Dany would suddenly mention it, his parentage.

"I didn't mean to upset you..." Dany spoke and touched his face. "I'm sorry."

"No..." Jon shook his head. "You didn't upset me my Dearest. You could never ever upset me. Now that you're here, I'm just so grateful and happy, I would have even hug and kiss the Lannister Arse if it pleases you..." Jon laughed.

Dany heard that and laughed as well. She knew how much Jon despised Jaime Lannister. The image of Jon kissing and hugging Jaime just seemed too warped for her and she didn't want Jon to kiss another.

"You know I would never let him touch you Jon...You're mine." She said with a frown.

"I don't care if he touches me as long as he doesn't touch you," Jon said and gave a grunt.

Dany sighed and kissed his lips again. Jon deepened the kiss and pulled her even closer. The kiss grew desperate and heated and Dany let her hands roamed underneath his shirt.

"I need you Jon..." Dany whispered, her body trembling whether it was from the cold or because she needed him so much. She tugged on his breeches wanting to pull it down and remove every inch of clothing.

"You've just recovered Dany..." Jon told her as he pulled his lips away.

Jon stared at her seeing the passion and need in her face. She looked so beautiful, so desirable, with her pink pouty lips, her large wet violet eyes and her silver blonde hair so long and beautiful, it flowed to her hips. He had missed his wife and he had missed making love to her but what mattered to Jon was that Dany recovers well. The rest will have to wait.

"I need to be with you..." Dany told him and nuzzled his neck. "I need to know that you're here. I need to feel you with me and in me."

Jon let out a soft groan and moved to cover Dany's body with his and kissed her lips fiercely. Dany sighed and removed his clothes, while Jon moved between her legs and hiked her nightdress up. She smiled as she held his face. He moved and kissed her neck and throat, suckling the sensitive spot and she whimpered in pleasure as he pulled the top of her nightdress down.

"I love you Dany. I love you so much..." Jon whispered in her ear as he made love to her tenderly through the cold night, the heat from their bodies warming them up as their passions rose.

* * *

_Storm's End._

Stannis Baratheon was sitting in his great hall when the message sent from Winterfell reached him via a raven. He stared at the note and looked at his trusted Hand, Davos Seaworth. Stannis gave a sigh and scratched his beard.

"The Queen survives..." Stannis said. His face was serious and gloomy being the severe man that he was. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

"Well the gods are kind to her," Davos responded and gave a small smile.

"They were never kind to me," Stannis said solemnly. "My rightful throne taken by bastards and my wife unable to bear me a son and heir and now my only child, my daughter, Shireen taken prisoner by the Targaryen Queen."

Davos kept quiet hearing that. The High Septon of the Faith had once said that Stannis' worship of the Lord of Light was blasphemous and that he would no longer be welcome in the Faith and the good graces of the gods. The gods would seek to punish him and his family that was what the High Septon had decreed.

"Perhaps Cersei Lannister has underestimated the strength of her poison," Davos spoke.

"She has always been a foolish, conceited, power hungry, whore of a woman." Stannis said with disdain. Stannis hated Robert's wife just as much as he despised his older brother. He poured himself some ale and drank it. "But Robert was an even greater fool to marry her. The Lannisters are never to be trusted."

Stannis looked at Davos before speaking, berating his dead older brother again. "I did warn him of the marriage! He was never one to listen and look what happened. All three of his children were not even his to begin with, bastards conceived from incest. And they call me an infidel! What about the Lannisters and their sins..."

Stannis then stopped himself from his own tirade and breathed in deeply. Davos looked at him before giving a soft sigh. "Your Grace. Maybe it's time for you to go to King's Landing and make good with the Queen. She might give you autonomy for the Stormlands if you and the Baratheon bannermen agreed to help the Queen in her conquest of the East."

"No..." Stannis shook his head firmly. "She has already taken my daughter, I'll not have her take my men."

"But my Lord..." Davos called him. "We signed a treaty...This is an opportunity for your House to rise again."

"I signed the treaty because it was the right thing to do then. Her claim to the Iron Throne is stronger than mine being the daughter of the Mad King." Stannis spoke as he recounted his reasons for the peace treaty. "The war had raged on for years and I was losing men and morale had been low. The Queen had promised to make me Lord of Storm's End and Warden of the Stormlands. But things have changed."

"What do you mean?" Davos asked him.

"The Queen had dishonoured every nobility in court when she put a Bastard on the throne as King and this new reforms of hers has put all Seven Kingdoms in a disarray. How can I honour such a treaty?"

"She is the sovereign Your Grace." Davos spoke.

"Not mine!" Stannis bellowed. "I will no longer bow to a woman. It is repugnant. A subversion of good order and justice! It is unnatural and abominable. Women are subordinate to man by order of nature."

"Then it is the King then who is the sovereign..." Davis said.

"The Stark Bastard?" Stannis' eyes narrowed. It was obvious he wasn't pleased. "You would want me to bow to the Bastard?"

"His legitimacy has been restored Your Grace."

"So it would seem," Stannis said bitterly.

"As your Hand and counsel My Lord, I still think it best that you put your differences and grievances aside and go to the Capital. Having your voice in the Queen's and King's new council would be advantageous."

"New council?" Stannis was surprised and stared at Davos. He gave a nod and showed him a long scroll, one sent to him by a horseman from Winterfell. Stannis read it hurriedly before looking at Davos.

"The Crown wants to form of Grand Council from the Noble Houses. It seems Tyrion Lannister thinks it wise that the Lords shall finally have some say in how things are governed." Davos said and gave a smile.

"It's a game of politics My Lord. That's what it is. The King and Queen may sit on the Iron Throne but we're all important pieces on the chess board. The assassination attempt on the Queen has made Lord Lannister feel that without broad support from the noble Houses all the Queen has are her dragons and the powerless commoners..." Davos continued.

"What can we gain from this?" Stannis asked his trusted friend.

"Having the freedom to worship as an Act to be passed by the Crown, that and other laws that you feel should be passed. We cannot let the Lannisters and other Houses dominate such a council Your Grace. The Baratheons of Storm's End should have a say and some power. In fact a lot of it if possible," Davos spoke.

"And maybe we could even persuade the Queen to return Lady Shireen back to Storm's End."

Stannis gave a tired heave and shook his head. He realized that Davos was right of course. Davos had always been right and honest with him. He was the only man who dared to tell Stannis the ugly truth even when he hated it.

"All the years of battles and wars, the idea of diplomacy and talk has been something unfamiliar and foreign to me..." Stannis said in a resigned tone. He had grown weary of the pursuit of power and yet something inside him, the embers that still burned urged him to soldier on, to the bitter end even.

"It's a start My Lord," Davos said.

Stannis only kept quiet and stared out the window. It was already dark and he drank the remainder his ale. He was sure that his former sister in law would be executed soon for treason and attempting to assassinate the Queen. Stannis gave a small smirk and stood impassive. Maybe the gods were fair after all. Justice and divine retribution has a funny way of moving in full circle.


	10. Chapter 10 The True King

_Hi, Sorry for the long wait. Had some problem with creative juices flowing in my brain. Thank you for reading and for your reviews. I will try to update as much as I can._

* * *

Chapter Ten.

King's Landing.

She had been taken prisoner, dragged from the country estate in the Westerlands, to stand trial in the capital of King's Landing for crime against the Crown. High Treason and attempted murder of the Queen. Cersei was kept in the dungeons beneath Red Keep. She wasn't allowed any of her handmaidens and stayed in a cell by herself. Tyrion went to see her and Cersei barely acknowledged his presence. She had been rather distraught lately. News of her daughter's, Myrcella's death had reached her. Her seventeen year old had died from a fever.

"I am very sorry Cersei," Tyrion spoke solemnly. "Her body will be brought to Casterly Rock and buried in the family crypt."

"It's really happening." Cersei gave a soft, bitter edged laughter.

What Maggy the Frog had prophesied had came true. All her children will die before her. A beautiful young Queen taking everything away and lastly, a _Volanqur_ who will strangle her. Which Jaime did when he went to the country manor in Ashemarke to arrest her. He loosened his grip on her neck after a while, saying coldly to her that she deserved to be brought to trial.

"I've lost two of my children. Joffrey and Myrcella died before me...Now it's just Tommen left."

"Tommen is safe in Casterly Rock." Tyrion told her. "No harm will come to him."

"No harm?" Cersei asked in scathing tone. "No harm? Can you guarantee that? Can you swear upon your tiny soul that he would not grow ill, or have an accident and fall from his horse or mayhap even poisoned by one of the Queen's people for revenge."

"The Queen is not you Sister." Tyrion said, his eyes looking at Cersei. "She's not one motivated by vengeance."

"How kind..." came Cersei's acerbic response. "She's a saint and Queen all in one. May the gods grant her eternal happiness."

"You know what you did was dangerous and foolish Sister." Tyrion told her in a low voice. "You just couldn't leave it alone can you Cersei?"

"He's in love with her!" She cried. "How could I leave it alone?"

"I have nothing now!" Cersei cried. "Nothing! My children are dead! Jaime has left me! And I'm imprisoned here!"

Tyrion only sighed as he looked at his sister piteously. There was nothing he could do, except praying that Cersei's execution would be as quick and painless as possible.

* * *

Stannis Baratheon rode to King's Landing with sixty of his men. He seek an audience with the Queen but seeing that she was still recovering from the poison, it was the King that saw him instead. Stannis stared at Jon Snow, who was seated on the Iron Throne, his white albino direwolf to his right, snarling at Stannis and his men. The Valyrian steel sword with the white stoned wolf's head at its hilt, _Longclaw_ by the King's side._ Bastard sword for a bastard king..._ Stannis thought with a smirk.

"Your Grace..." Stannis greeted the king as he stepped forward and bowed.

"Lord Baratheon..." The King nodded. Stannis then stood up and the King gestured him to come forward. He did so with the heaviest heart and bent to kiss the King's ruby ring.

Stannis then stepped back and looked at the King. Despite the scruffy beard on his face, the monarch still looked too young for someone with so much power. Power that wasn't deserved, fought battles for or even inherited. It was just given to him via marriage. It was hard for Stannis not to feel bitter about it. He had given up so much in the pursuit of the Iron Throne.

"I'm here representing the House Baratheon of Storm's End." Stannis said and gave a rather awkward cough. He then looked at his men.

"I've also brought the Noble Houses of the Stormlands with me." He said.

"We welcome you to the city Lord Baratheon." The King said. He didn't sound enthusiastic or warm, Stannis noticed. Stannis cleared his throat and looked at the King expectantly, hinting to him with a look. The King however looked at him a little lost.

Tyrion Lannister suddenly came walking in. He bowed at the King and apologized for his tardiness. Tyrion looked at Stannis and greeted the serious, unsmiling man.

"Lord Baratheon will be joining me and the New Council of Lords Your Grace for a meeting," Tyrion informed the King.

The King gave a nod and both Tyrion and Stannis made their leave. Stannis' men followed them. Stannis looked at his Hand, Davos who nodded as well, signalling to his Lord that it would be fine. He still didn't feel so sure. Stannis' gut kept telling him not to be too comfortable.

* * *

"The King won't be joining us?" Stannis asked Tyrion while they walked together.

"He's not one for meetings Lord Stannis." Tyrion replied.

Stannis kept quiet and followed Tyrion down the halls of Red Keep into the newly refurbished Hall of Lords. He saw the other principal noble Houses present as well as the minor Houses. Ser Loras Tyrell and his sister, Margaery were there. Loras glared at him hatefully and Stannis took his seat away from them with Davos next to him and the other nobles from the Stormlands behind. There was the House of Arryn and Martell. Lady Sansa Stark representing her House and Edmure Tully and his son, Reese. Absent from the meeting were the Greyjoys. There were a few Northerners there, looking scruffier than the rest. The tall giant of a man Greatjon Umber and Ser Rodrik were present seated behind Sansa Stark.

They were all talking and discussing among themselves what looked to be a rather heated mix of differing opinions and conversations. Tyrion grew annoyed seeing the chaos. He took the wooden gavel and knocked it hard on the stand. "Order! Order!"

Everyone stopped their conversations and stared at the little man who stood at the raised podium. "I'm here to call the first Lord's Council meeting. We will now start with each House raising their concern. Alphabetically...the Arryns will start first. Lord Arryn if you please..."

Lord Denys Arryn rose and gave a bow. "These taxes on castles are too much Lord Tyrion. And now with my peasants gone and moving to the cities for jobs under the Crown, there's no one to toil the land..."

"These reforms for the peasants are ridiculous!" One of the other lords heckled and everyone agreed. Only Sansa was quiet as she seemed to be pondering, taking notes in her head.

"We need to put a stop to this!"

"The crown cares more for the smallfolk than the nobles..."

"Order!" Tyrion yelled, knocking the gavel again and everyone grew quiet. He rolled his eyes, annoyed by the noblemen who were behaving more like fish wives in a market.

He gave a tired sigh and looked at Lord Arryn. "I will bring it up to the Crown."

Tyrion then looked at Stannis. "Lord Baratheon of Storm's End."

"I too am not happy with such reforms but if it is what the Queen wishes I will obey. However the issue of religious freedom is something I will champion for."

"Oh! Don't be ridiculous Baratheon! Everyone knows you worship the Devil." One of the lords laughed.

Stannis gave a frown. "The King follows the Old Ways and prays to his Old gods... He is not a follower of the Faith and I don't think the Queen herself goes to the Sept. Why should they have privileges and not everyone else?"

"The issue of religion is a private matter Lord Baratheon." Tyrion informed him. "So far no one has been persecuted for practising their faiths and beliefs."

"Yes." Stannis spoke out. "Then why is the Faith of Seven still an official religion and why does the High Septon and the clergy still have so much power?"

"The Faith of Seven is the official religion because most of us are its followers." Loras Tyrell stood up and cried. "It has been the Faith for many centuries."

"The Septons and clergy have too much power." Stannis argued. "Power that is not sanctioned. They owned lands and don't even pay taxes! We Lords have to pay taxes. They ask their poor parishioners for tithe and alms when they have golden altars and the Septons wear golden robes. And they preach lies on their pulpits"

"So you want us to tax the Septs?" Another lord asked Stannis.

"I only feel that the clergy's power should be diminished." Stannis spoke

"That is the power of the gods representatives on Earth!" Loras Tyrell yelled.

"You would defend a Faith who finds your passions for a man abhorrent?" Stannis asked Loras who was taken aback.

"Lord Baratheon. The Crown does not wish to cause waves of dissent among the clergy. Surely you understand it. The King and Queen are married in the Faith and their children have been baptized by the High Septon and they are defenders of the Faith. They will be making their pilgrimage to the Andal hills shortly."

The meeting of the Lord's Council went for six hours with breaks in between. Many issues were discussed from contested territory and lands between disgruntled lords to taxation and the new inheritance laws. Tyrion was exhausted when he finally called it to a close. He also had a new royal decree to read to the lords, one Tyrion was sure would not be popular or well received.

"The Crown wishes me to tell you that beginning immediately, each principal noble House with the exception of House Stark will only be allowed to have ten thousand bannermen for defence purposes. Additional bannermen will report straight to the Capital under the Crown's banner and will serve the Crown faithfully. The Queen and King wishes to express their thanks for your most loyal support."

Tyrion gave a terse smile and left with some of the King's guards surrounding hin. It caused quite a loud uproar as many lords were furious to hear the unexpected royal decree. Everyone was up in arms. Stannis then frowned at Davos.

"This is an ambush! He called us here to subjugate and disarm us not to ask for our loyalty!" Stannis groaned and hit his fist on the wooden rail angrily. He then looked at Loras and met their man's gaze. Loras whispered to one of his men who later came to Stannis and Davos.

"The House Tyrell wishes a meeting in secret with Lord Stannis and his men." The man whispered to Stannis.

"What's this about?" Davos asked and looked at Stannis suspiciously. He knew how Loras hated Stannis.

"I don't know..." Stannis said and looked at Loras and his sister Margaery. "I think they probably want an alliance with us."

* * *

Jon was in his official chambers just staring at the official royal decree on his desk. Both his and Dany's seals were on the scroll and their signatures. He had heard what Tyrion reported to him. The Lords were not pleased with the disarmament of their bannermen. In fact they were furious. _Who could blame them? _He sighed and shook his head. Jon didn't really have much of a choice. He knew he had to nip the problem of any future uprising in the bud.

With less bannermen, the Lords wouldn't dare to wage a full scale war or rebellion, they wouldn't have enough men to fight. Even if they do band together, they would only have less than sixty thousand forces, which meant they would be outnumbered by the Crown's vast army and the dragons. He acted in a way his conscious told him. Jon was the one who told Tyrion, while Dany was recovering in Winterfell, to call all the Lords of the noble Houses to the Capital under the pretext of a meeting for the Lords and a formation of a new Council. He wanted all of them there so they would know who had the power and the authority. That things have changed. There would be no more struggles for power among the Houses.

Jon never thought he would be the one playing politics but when his wife nearly died in an assassination attempt, he knew he could no longer be the reluctant, passive monarch. The Game of Thrones was vicious and deadly and one has to be smart or be outsmarted. His wife Dany was seen as the beautiful, kind hearted Queen who loved her subjects and was loved by them. Jon then realized he had to play the other role. He had to be protective, politically astute, shrewd, sharp minded and even ruthless in protecting his family and legacy. A pre-emptive political manoeuvre would be more merciful than killing all those who threatened to usurp the throne.

Jon knew he had a lot to learn but he would do anything to protect Dany, his children and his family. He had to play to win. He had to be better and smarter than the rest of them. All the lords and ministers think of him as a simple Nights watchman, the bastard son of Eddard Stark, a Northerner who was considered uncouth and a barbarian in their eyes. He was the lucky one chosen by the Queen and many felt Jon didn't deserve the Throne. He didn't fight any battles for it. He wasn't even a true born son. Everyone knew the King was reluctant to rule and seemed to show distaste for power.

But things changed. Dany's near death made Jon realized the weight of the position he now held. He was King and he knew he had a responsibility, a sacred one especially to the people of the seven kingdoms, many poor and unprotected, the elderly, the women and children. They suffered most while the Lords had their wars and games. Maybe it was a good thing that the nobles thought so lowly of him, that they had underestimated his mettle, strength and even his intelligence. He would show all of the Noble Houses what he was made of. Jon heard the sound of laughter and he smiled. Dany was playing in the terrace outside his chambers with the twins. He stood up from his chair and went out to join them.

"Jon..." She looked up and smiled beautifully at him. The twins were there and so was his loyal direwolf, Ghost. Three of Dany's handmaidens were seated several feet away whispering and giggling to one another, probably sharing palace gossips.

Dany was carrying Eddy in her arms while Aerysa played on the floor where a large rug lied. The one year old was pulling and tugging on Ghost's white fur.

"No Aerysa. Don't do that Sweetheart..." Dany called to her daughter who only giggled and gripped her tiny fists harder. "You're hurting Ghost."

Jon smiled seeing his daughter and his loyal direwolf. "No she's not. Ghost is a tough one."

He bent down, patting Ghost's head and picked his daughter up in his arms. Jon then kissed Aerysa's cheek. The baby started to pull on her father's dark curls instead while Jon pouted his lips and made funny faces at her which made the little princess laughed.

Jon moved closer to Dany and kissed his wife's lips. Dany smiled at him. "And how was your day Your Grace?" She asked her husband as he bent to kiss his little prince's cheeks.

"I think it went quite well actually," Jon replied. "I disarmed the nobles and increased the Crown's troops."

"Consolidating power I see..." Dany said and played with Eddy's fingers while the baby boy only laughed. Jon smiled back. "More like protecting my family."

Dany then called her handmaidens, telling them to bathe the twins and put them to bed. It was only the two of them on the terrace with Ghost. Jon pulled her into his arms as they watched the sunset. He kissed Dany's head and held her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist as she leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder while they watched the pink, dusky sky. He loved the moments like this when it was just the two of them, doing nothing but being in each other's arms.

Dany breathed and turned around to look at him. "Are you really going to behead her Jon?"

A trial in the courts had been held days ago and the jury voted. Cersei Lannister had been condemned to die and the beheading would take place the next day at noon.

"I have to Dany. I am carrying out the sentence..."

"But a woman Jon?" Dany asked him. "Have you ever beheaded a woman?"

Jon grew quiet. He remembered how he had almost beheaded Ygritte all those years ago. He couldn't really do it then. He wavered and decided to keep her prisoner. But Jon knew he would not hesitate to cut off Cersei Lannister's head. She had almost killed the one person that meant the world to him. And it was something of the most unforgivable in nature to Jon.

"She tried to murder you." Jon reminded her and held Dany's face lovingly. His eyes darkened at the memory of almost losing her. Jon never wanted to go through anything like that ever again.

"I supposed motherhood has made me too gentle hearted now," She sighed. Jon smiled and kissed Dany's lips.

"I always hated having a gentle heart. People always think that women are gentle hearted and weak. Too weak to rule even," Dany said and gave a small frown.

"That's too bad my Love. I've always loved your gentle heart." Jon said with a tease and kissed her lips more. She gave a soft giggle and kissed him more, wrapping her arms around him.

"I love your brave and gentle heart too," Dany said, kissing his lips deeply.

"Are there other parts of me that you love?" Jon asked pulling her close, his hands cupping her bottom that made Dany gasped.

"Many many parts..." Dany said as her eyes widened and a content smile spread on her face.

Jon bent and peppered her lips and face with more kisses. He smiled and lifted her up in his arms as he continued kissing her. Jon brought her to the bed and laid her gently there as he moved to kiss her lips deeply. Dany sighed and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. He smiled gently and her and let his hands roamed to her back, tugging her dress down.

* * *

It was an uneasy dinner. Uncomfortable even. They had once been enemies and still were. Loras hated Stannis for killing Renly and he had defeated Stannis forces in the Battle of Blackwater Bay several years ago during the war. Loras stared at Stannis Baratheon. He had once pictured in his head how he would kill the man but things have changed. The war had been long over and a new ruler sits on the Iron Throne. Food was served on the table and the lords started talking. Many were unhappy of the Crown's new decree but they could do nothing. They were rendered powerless. Jon Snow had seen to that. He had stripped the Houses off their bannermen and forces quite unexpectedly.

"The Crown wants to form a parliament." Stannis spoke. He looked at Davos and then at Loras. "Lord Tyrion mentioned it."

"Will you be part of it then?" Loras asked.

"I've no use for politics." Stannis said. He leaned against the chair and let out a grunt.

"And yet you were vying for the Throne." Loras commented and drank his wine.

"Because it was supposed to be mine when Robert died." Stannis told him. His face a stone mask as he breathed in deeply, not wanting to lash out. "You invited us here Ser Loras..."

"Yes. My sister wishes for our houses to merge." Ser Loras said. "You are without a wife and she is without a husband."

"You want me to marry your sister?" Stannis was shocked by the proposition. His wife had died years ago and he wasn't looking for a new one. And even if he were, he would never consider a union with the Tyrells.

"It is more political than personal." Loras said bitterly. "I would want nothing more than see you dead Lord Stannis."

Stannis' men and Davos immediately stood up reaching for their swords and so did Loras' men. Stannis glared at Loras and then signalled for his men to stand down. Loras did the same and everyone stepped back and sat down, resuming their places. The tension in the air was so thick, one could cut it with a knife.

"But it would not be prudent." Loras said with a sigh, breaking the tense atmosphere. "It appears we have to all band together to fight a common enemy."

"And who is that?" Stannis asked.

"The Targaryen Queen and her bastard King."

"That would be treason." Stannis said.

"The King is a murderer and tyrant." Loras said. "He killed my relatives and he is a bastard with no claim to the throne!"

Stannis grew quiet and thought about it for a while. Loras had a point. The King had proved himself to be quite the tyrant. Murdering the noble houses for vengeance for his late brother's murder. But Stannis couldn't really blame the King. Robb Stark's murder was most abominable. The way the Freys butchered Robb Stark and his bannermen during a wedding goes against the traditional and honoured _guest rights_ of hospitality and immunity. It was barbaric even to Stannis and he had been guilty of the kinslaying of his younger brother, Renly.

"This new parliament the Crown wants to form can be powerful if the lords put aside their differences and be a strong opposing force." Loras said. "That is how we can beat the Crown. It is not in battlefields or through treasonous acts but in parliament."

"The Crown will still have veto power. They can override any act or reforms." Stannis told Loras. Lord Tyrion had informed the lords of a parliament of the blue print he had for the formation of the parliament.

"To their own detriment..." Loras responded coldly and drank his wine. He then continued,"They would not have come up the idea of parliament if they wanted to rule alone. The King and Queen do not want to appear tyrannical even though we all know deep inside they are. Lady Arya Stark has come up with ridiculous farfetched ideas of giving power to the people, namely the peasants and smallfolk."

Stannis only kept quiet and listened close as Loras Tyrell ranted on. He didn't quite know where his allegiance lied and who he would form an alliance with. It surely wasn't with the Bastard King.

* * *

It was the same dark dream she found herself trapped in over and over again. Dany was in the throne room it was dark and she saw snow everywhere. Dany looked up and the ceilings and roofs that were broken, she could see the white sky above and the snow that fell. She walked towards the Iron Throne and it was covered with snow and she saw Jon's sword, Longclaw that leaned against the throne. Dany touched the stoned wolf's head hilt and she shivered in the cold. It felt so surreal to be back there, identical like the visions she had seen in the House of the Undying years ago. Her visions had proved to be true. Jon now sits on the Iron Throne.

Dany heard the loud sound of a door opening and she turned to look. She felt the icy blast of winds and she knew it was the gate to the Wall opening. She drifted towards it, as if pulled by some invisible, strong force. Dany felt the freezing cold and the heavy snow that fell on her. She looked down and saw that she was still wearing her nightdress. She saw the tent made from cow hide and leather and Dany gasped, knowing who it was might be inside. Dany stepped in, her late husband Drogo was seated there. A boy sat next to him. He looked to be about five with dark brown hair and violet eyes. It was her son, Rhaego.

"_You were supposed to join us..."_ Drogo spoke to her in the Dothraki tongue.

"_I was poisoned...but they brought me back."_ Dany stuttered for a while. She hadn't spoken Dothraki for a long time and she realized she wasn't as fluent.

"_I waited for you..."_ Drogo told her. His glare was serious and menacing even. He then looked at his son. _"We waited for you..."_

"_I'm sorry..."_ Dany said and her eyes looked down.

"_We were supposed to be together. The Great Stallion will take us away to the Night lands..."_

"_I can't go with you. Not anymore..."_ Dany said. _"I am needed here."_

"_You love another."_ Drogo accused her. His eyes glowered at hers. Dany gave a nod. Drogo grew angry and stood up. He then stalked towards her and roughly grabbed her arm. _"You were supposed to be mine. Forever!"_

"_No. I'm not yours anymore."_ Dany cried as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. She couldn't. Even dead, Drogo was stronger than her_. "I belong to someone else. I love someone else now."_

"_But you promised me. Till the sun rises in the west and sets in the East, when the rivers run dry and the mountains blown in the wind..."_ Drogo reminded her.

"_I'm sorry. I am so sorry,"_ Dany wept and tears flowed down her cheeks. _"I will always love you...I just can't be with you."_

"_He is your nephew!" _Drogo cried in anger and gripped her tighter, making Dany winced in pain._ "You would choose him over me!"_

"_He is my husband! He is my King and my Lord! Do you not understand it? I can't be without him. He is my true half..."_ Dany told him.

"_He will leave you once he knows the truth." _Drogo spat._ "And you will have no one. Not even me."_

Drogo then shook his head. He loosened his grip and let go of her. _"I can't wait for you anymore..."_

He sounded sad, resigned. It broke Dany's heart hearing his voice. She did love Drogo. He was her Sun and Stars but Jon, Jon was everything to her.

"_Don't. Don't wait for me"_ Dany told him. _"I want you to go and find peace." _

Dany then moved away from Drogo and walked to where her son was. She smiled at the boy and bent to kiss his head before hugging him close. The tears fell again. She had to say goodbye. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, the tears still flowed. Dany was in her bed, her husband, Jon beside her. She breathed in short, deep breaths that had Jon roused from his sleep.

"What's wrong?" Jon asked her as he held her close. Dany looked up at him and gave a sad smile. His eyes were still half opened and he looked sleepy.

"I had a dream..." She told him. He kissed her head and wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"Was it a bad one?" He asked. Dany saw the worry in his eyes and she hated seeing it. She didn't want to worry him further.

"It was rather sad..." Dany sighed and snuggled closer. "But it's just a dream Jon. I'm alright now." She said softly.

Dany felt better just being in his arms, warmer even especially when the nights were cold. They just couldn't possibly be related. It didn't feel like it to her. She was younger than him. How could she be his aunt? Dany only want to shut it out of her mind, despite all the dreams she had been having, walking in the Wall and the encounters with Ned Stark and her late husband.

"It's only a dream my Love. Dreams don't have any power over us." Jon said and gave a soft yawn.

Dany was silent when she heard that. If only it were true. That it was all a dream and nothing more. She rested her head on Jon's bare chest and heard the gentle beating of his heart. _They will overcome this_. That was what she kept telling herself. She felt Jon's fingers stroking her back and it made her sleepy. Dany closed her eyes as she cuddled closer to him. _It was a dream, just a dream. It couldn't mean anything. Jon would never leave me. He couldn't..._

* * *

Cersei Lannister was brought in front of the people. She stood there as regal and proud as any queen. Removed by all the cries, jeers and jabs thrown at her from the crowd. The people were avaricious in taunting and jeering at her. Some in the crowd were throwing rotten vegetables that Cersei brushed aside. The High Septon came to offer her prayers but she had no sins to confess.

Jaime watched from afar. He couldn't bear to see it so close. He knew he'd probably do something drastic and take the axe away from the executioner. He watched on, seeing the King moving forward with his sword, _Longclaw_ sheathed by his side. Jaime then realized that there would be no executioner. Jon Snow would be the one beheading Cersei himself.

"I am here to sentence you Cersei Lannister for High Treason. You had attempted to murder Her Majesty, the Queen and the courts of law have found you guilty as charged. In doing so you will hereby be put to death by beheading," The King spoke gruffly.

"Any last words Lady Lannister?" The King asked her.

Cersei had no last words to say and was silent throughout. She didn't even look at the King. They took a white cloth and covered it over her eyes. The guards took her by the arms and dragged her to the stone where her head was rested as she knelt before it. The King looked at his Queen who was seated and she gave a small nod.

"In the name of Jon and Daenerys, of the House Stark and Targaryen, the first of their names, King and Queen of Westeros. I Jon, of the House Stark, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm sentence you to die."

Jaime watched as the King held up his sword and then with one sudden, quick swoop, Cersei's life had ended. Her head fell into the basket and Jaime's heart felt like it stopped for a while. She was gone. His twin was gone. His Love was gone. He felt numb. There was no anger or sadness. It had all passed. Just a hollow space in his heart. _It's really over_, he felt. Jaime had lost one half of himself.

Jaime then looked at the crowd before him who had grown silent. It was new to them, seeing the King executing another. They had never seen a monarch beheading a prisoner before. It was always done by executioners. Jaimee then walked away. He needed time to himself. He had to bury Cersei in Casterly Rock and spend some time with his son, Tommen.

* * *

Tyrion Lannister was surprised to find Bronn in his official chambers when he went there right after the beheading of his sister Cersei. Tyrion had wanted to find his older brother Jaime and to make funeral arrangements for Cersei. Bronn looked rather solemn and there was an old woman standing next to him.

"What is going on?" Tyrion asked his friend.

"You asked me to do some digging and I did..." Bronn said and breathed in before he continued. "I know who the King's mother is."

"You do?" Tyrion asked as his green eyes went wide, excited by the news. Bronn gave a solemn nod.

"This old woman was one of the midwives present at his birth..." He said and gestured to the old lady next to him.

"Well Old woman..." Tyion spoke, sounding urgent and rather impatient. "Out with it..."

"I think you need to sit down Lord Tyrion." Bronn told him. His dark eyes looking right at Tyrion. The expression on Bronn's face was rather ominous. "You're not going to like this."

Tyrion then shot Bronn an irritated glare. "What's there not to like? The King's mother is not a Lannister is she?"

The old woman gave a sigh and looked at Tyrion. "The King's mother is a Stark. Lyanna Stark my Lord."

"What!" Tyrion sounded alarmed by it and stared at the midwife. "Are you telling me that Ned Stark and his sister?"

It couldn't be possible. Ned Stark was one of the most honourable men Tyrion had ever known. He could not bed his own sister.

"No my Lord..." Bronn interrupted and gave a tired sigh. Tyrion then looked at him, feeling lost. "Ned Stark isn't his father..."

"Then who is he? Who is the King's father?" Tyrion asked.

"The King is not Ned Stark's bastard." The old woman said and stared at Tyrion. "He is the son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen."

"Oh my gods...Are you sure?" Tyrion gasped when he heard it and looked at Bronn who only nodded and gave a small shrug.

_It couldn't be..._ Of everything that he had thought possible. That was probably the most impossible thing Tyrion had ever come across. That Jon Snow was the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. That the King and his beloved Queen were related by blood. They were nephew and aunt. Tyrion was breathing hurriedly and finally sat down on his chair. Bronn shook his head seeing that Tyrion was hyperventilating.

"I told you, you needed to sit down..." Bronn said with a snort.

"The King is a Targaryen...He is not a Stark. He is Targaryen by blood. Jon Snow is the true heir to the Iron Throne..." Tyrion spoke rapidly.

He couldn't believe the words that came out from his own mouth. Tyrion didn't know what to make of it but he considered himself loyal to the Crown. The King and Queen needed to know the truth, before news of it ever reach the other high Lords and nobles. Tyrion was sure that the news would not be well received. In fact he gulped just thinking of how the King would react. He would probably fly into one of his infamous rages.

_It makes sense now..._Tyrion thought to himself. The fire that burned in the once brooding and silent Jon Snow. It was definitely not a Stark trait. Tyrion had seen it in the Queen many times. Jon Snow had the infamous Targaryen fire in him all along.


	11. Chapter 11 Heartbroken

Chapter Eleven.

Jon was in his official chambers that morning when Tyrion Lannister, his Hand walked in with Bronn and Arya. He saw the looks on their faces. They didn't look too happy and Jon wondered what was up. _Was there going to be another war or rebellion? Or did Ramsay Bolton struck again?_ He looked at his sister and saw the sombreness in Arya's face.

"What's wrong?" He asked them.

"We have news Your Grace." Tyrion started and looked at Arya who gave a soft nod.

"What news?" Jon asked. He looked at Arya seeing that his sister seemed rather crestfallen.

"We know who your mother is Jon," Arya spoke softly.

"You do?" Jon's dark eyes stared right at his sister.

"Oh Jon..." Arya sighed sadly and Jon was shocked to see tears in his sister's eyes. "It's not your fault at all."

"What are you talking about?" Jon was growing more anxious as the moments passed.

"It appears Your Grace that Ned Stark is not your father." Tyrion said in a solemn tone.

"You're lying." Jon said darkly. "Ned Stark is my father. I have his blood running in my veins."

"You are a Stark Jon. A true Stark..." Arya said, wiping her tears away.

"We have a witness Sire." Tyrion spoke. "Who was there at your birth..."

"I don't believe you!" Jon cried out.

Tyrion then looked at Bronn and he went out to bring the midwife in. Jon then stared at the doorway as an old woman walked in. She had pure white hair and blue eyes. She looked at him closely and gave a bow. "Your Grace..." She greeted him.

"Who is she?" Jon asked Tyrion.

"The midwife Your Grace." Tyrion informed. "She was the one who delivered you."

"Is it true?" Jon asked the old mid wife.

"It was a long labour Your Grace. You were a big babe. Too big for your mother. She was bleeding badly by the time you came out..." The midwife recalled.

"You have a birthmark, a small one on your head right above your neck, now covered with your hair..." The midwife gave a sad sigh. Jon only stared at her in disbelief. She knew about his birthmark.

"We couldn't save her. By the time her brother came. She was already losing consciousness. She made him promised her to keep the secret and raised you as his own. To protect you from Robert Baratheon for he might want you dead."

"And who is my mother?" Jon asked as he looked at the midwife.

"Lyanna Stark Your Grace..." The midwife said.

"No..." Jon uttered.

"It is the truth. The same truth I told Lady Catelyn Stark." The old woman continued.

"My mother knew about this?" Arya cried in disbelief. Tyrion only looked at Bronn, both of them shocked by the revelation.

"I told her when the King was newly crowned and married." The old woman replied. She looked at Tyrion and Bronn.

"She threatened to have me kept in the dungeons and cut my tongue out. But she finally knew that the King is not her husband's bastard son but his nephew."

"If this is true. Why would Robert Baratheon want to harm me?" Jon asked. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. He wasn't too sure.

"Because you are a threat to him." The old woman said. "Your father was the Crown Prince Rhaegar. You are a Targaryen and Robert Baratheon hated Targaryens."

The colour drained from Jon's face when he heard that. His eyes darkened and he stared at the old woman.

"No..." Jon shook his head vehemently. "These are lies! You are lying! I am the son of Eddard Stark."

"If it is true that I am lying then you can place me in the dungeons Your Grace for I have no reasons to lie." The midwife said.

"I am not a Targaryen!" Jon screamed. "That is not possible! I am a Stark! A Stark!"

Arya went to her brother and hugged him. "Jon calm down...It's going to be alright."

"Alright?" He cried. "How can this be alright? If it is true that I am Rhaegar Targaryen's son that means Dany..." He stumbled and hesitated. "She is his sister! And what does that make me?"

"It makes you to the true heir to the Iron Throne." Tryion spoke up and walked towards Jon.

"I've found some old secret documents thanks to Lord Varys." Tyrion showed the rolled scrolls to Jon and Arya as they read through it. It was a letter from the former High Septon granting permission for Rhaegar to divorce his wife Elia on grounds that she could no longer bore him children and for him to take another wife.

"It appears that Prince Rhaegar might not have kidnapped Lyanna Stark. She might have ran away with him and they had gotten married in secret. Rhaegar had divorced his wife and wedded Lyanna. Something that was kept hush hush by the High Septon at the time. Even the Mad King didn't know about it." Tyrion informed them.

He then looked closely at Jon. "Do you know what this means Your Grace?"

Jon only shook his head, still too dazed and shocked to say anything else.

"This makes you not only Rhaegar's legitimate trueborn son but his heir which was why Ned Stark had to protect you and claim you as his bastard or Robert Baratheon would have killed you in a heart beat. Varys managed to save Prince Aegon secretly by switching the prince with a peasant baby but sadly Princess Elia and her daughter, Rhaenys were butchered by Gregor Clegane during the Sack of King's Landing." Tyrion told the rest of them.

"Does the Queen know?" Jon asked him. He could not imagine it if Dany knew. How it would have affected her. Things would never be the same.

Tyrion shook his head. "We haven't told her yet."

"No..." Jon shook his head. "Do not tell her. She must not know. She must never know..."

Jon sat at his desk and covered his face with both hands. The news was devastating to him. His mysterious parentage was finally revealed and it turned out that he was a blood relative to his wife. Rhaegar Targaryen was his real father which made Dany his aunt. He was no better than Jaime Lannister who had bedded his own sister Cersei and breed bastards.

"Who else knows about this?" Jon asked as he looked at them. The secret had to be contained.

"All of us in this room and Lord Varys and of course Lady Stark." Tyrion replied.

"No one else must know." Jon told him urgently. "I will not have anyone accuse me and Dany of incest."

Jon breathed deeply and looked at his sister Arya. He wondered if he should call her his cousin now that the truth was known. Whatever it was, Arya was still his sister. "Everyone leave. I need to talk to Arya alone."

Tyrion gave a quick nod and walked out quickly with Bronn and the old midwife beside him leaving the King in his official chambers with the Hand of the Queen. After everyone had left, Jon looked at Arya needing her counsel. She was not only his sister and Hand, Arya was his bestfriend as well.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of Jon." Arya told him as she looked at him gently. "You didn't know. You couldn't have known it and married her."

"I don't know if I can look at her the same way anymore." Jon said sadly. "I love her the way a man loves a woman Arya. She is my wife and now I find out that her older brother was my real father..."

Arya took his hand and held it tight, squeezing it. "This doesn't change anything, you know that. You still love the Queen and she loves you..."

"This is my fault." Jon spoke and stared ahead. "I took an oath Arya. As a watchman, I would wear no crowns, take no wife and bear no children. I am an oathbreaker and this is my punishment..."

"You were not meant to be a Night's watchman Jon." Arya said as she looked deeply in his eyes.

"The reason you joined in the first place was because my mother wanted to kick you out of Winterfell..." Arya rolled her eyes and sighed."I can never forgive her for the way she treated you all those years ago Jon...I love Mother but she was cruel to you...Now we know all that anger and bitterness she had towards you was for nothing." Arya said and shook her head.

Jon gave a sad smile and held his sister's face. "It's not her fault Arya. She loved Father very much and Lady Stark was hurt deeply. She thought he loved another when he brought me home."

Arya frowned. "I wished I was as forgiving as you Jon. But maybe that's why you're king and I'm just your Hand." She then smiled sweetly at her beloved brother before hugging him close.

"Can't you see it Jon?" Arya said when she pulled away. "You were the prince that was promised to us born from the Targaryen line. You're the one they had prophesied for ages. You're the true King of the Seven Kingdoms. You will be the one bringing peace and light in the lands. It was you all along."

Jon smiled sadly at his sister. Arya had always been a fan of stories. Of the great myths and ancient prophecies, eversince she was a little girl. He remembered the tales Arya would tell him of the Great Targaryen dynasty and the tales from the Age of Heroes. If only it was that easy. Reality was different however. He didn't know how he could live with the knowledge that his most beloved and cherished wife, Dany was his actual aunt and that the father that he had known and loved all his life wasn't really his father. So he wasn't a bastard after all and he was a real Stark from his mother's side and an actual Targaryen prince. It would have been funny if it wasn't so tragic. Jon cursed silently. The gods were really laughing at him, he thought to himself, except he was probably the only one who couldn't see the humour behind it.

* * *

Dany had realized the distance in her husband lately. He had been working late in his official chambers and it had been a week since he came to her chambers and share a bed with her. Jon would make excuses that he had documents to read and meetings to attend with his Hands but Dany didn't believe it. He barely touched her and the look in his eyes. Sad, and more melancholy than usual and the guilt. She would know when she see it. Dany even came to a conclusion of the reason as to why Jon was avoiding contact with her. She wondered what was wrong and in her own impulsive, tempremental way, Dany decided to confront him.

"Are you keeping a mistress?" Dany cried when she burst into his official chambers so suddenly and accused him.

"What?" Jon asked and stared at her, surprised by the abrupt intrusion.

"Who is she?" Dany demanded as her violet eyes stared furiously at him. "Who is that woman you are sleeping with?"

Dany went to his desk and just shove everything that was on it down to the floor. The documents and scrolls. The quills and the pot of ink that came crashing down.

"Are you crazy!" Jon screamed as he stood up. "What is wrong with you?"

"You haven't came to my chambers in a week. You barely touched me or kissed me. You don't even look at me anymore!" Dany said. She didn't know why but the tears just flowed. The thought of Jon loving another. She felt it pierced through her heart. The pain, she couldn't bear it.

"You're with someone else aren't you!" She screamed again.

Jon grew quiet and sat down. Dany just stared at him and gasped sadly seeing the look in his face.

"It's true..." She uttered as she looked at him. He did not even deny it. He had been with another, loved another. Dany's heart felt like it had been been broken into pieces.

"You have another woman." Dany spoke. She wiped the tears off her face using the back of her hands but streams of it just fell. "Who is she?" Dany asked him coldly.

"It is none of your concern." Jon said. His eyes looking straight at hers.

"I am your Queen!" Dany yelled. "I demand to know who that whore is!"

"And I am King!" Jon yelled back as he lifted the chair he was sitting and banged it hard on the floor that shocked Dany. "You do not tell me what to do!"

He sounded so harsh, cruel even. Dany was shocked hearing it. That tone in his voice. That was not the Jon she knew. The Jon she had loved. It was as if someone else was inhabiting his body. Someone who didn't seem to care. Someone callous. Dany would not back down, being the stubborn, fiery Targaryen that she was. She marched right at Jon and slapped his face. He only stood still, his face a cold, stoned mask of indifference and that made her even more furious. She started to lash out at him and pushed him, beating his chest and scratching his face.

"Who is she!" Dany screamed. "I will kill her! I swear it Jon!"

Jon took both her wrists and held them tight, before pushing her away. Dany was stumped and stood there, watching as he walked off.

"I will burn her!" Dany screamed seeing Jon walking away from her. "I swear I will! My dragons will burn and her entire house down once I know who she is!"

* * *

Jon stood at the doorway watching Dany crying to herself in the bed later that evening when he found her in her chambers. He just wanted to check in on her, to see if she was alright. He felt terrible leaving her a crumbling mess the last time. Seeing her crying in bed, Jon felt as if his gut was wrenching and twisting inside. It hurt so bad he just wanted to rip it out of his body himself. He walked to the bed and got in. Jon hugged her close and the sobs just wrecked through her body as his arms tightened around her waist. Jon then kissed the back of her head.

"Do you not love me anymore?" Dany asked him.

"It's more complicated than that." Jon said softly. "I will never love another like I do you. You know that."

"Then what is wrong Jon?" Dany asked as she turned around to face him.

Jon looked at her, seeing the tears that were in her eyes. He brushed them aside and kissed her cheeks softly. Dany moaned and wrapped her arms around him, folding into him, losing herself in the embrace. She then kissed his lips and Jon returned them with much fervour but he later tore himself away from her and that startled Dany that he would retreat from her touch. It had never happened before.

"We can't share the same bed Dany...Not anymore." Jon spoke.

"Why?" Dany asked him. Her voice had been raised.

"Because of what we really are to each other." Jon looked away.

"You know it don't you..." Dany gasped and Jon looked at her, wondering what she meant. "You had the same dreams as I did..." Dany continued. "You know you're the son of Rhaegar."

Jon stared at his wife in disbelief, His eyes just widened hearing it. _Dany knew..._. "So you knew all along?"

Dany only kept quiet and stared at him. "I...I thought.." She stuttered.

Jon shook his head and got out of the bed. He then paced in the room and stared at his wife. "How long have you known?" Jon asked her.

"I don't know...I only suspected..." Dany told him as she sat on the bed and stared at him.

"There I thought, I was protecting you, keeping it from you." Jon said before groaning loudly and screaming in anger. "Aargh!"

"Is this why you're not in my bed anymore? Is this why you found another?" Dany asked him. Her violet eyes flashed wildly.

"Are you mad!" Jon screamed at her. "Is that all you can think of? That I have been unfaithful to you?"

"You knew Dany! And you kept it from me! All these secrets..." Jon breathed in sharply. "How can I trust you now? I can't even look at you the same..."

Dany stared at him not knowing what to say. Jon then walked away but Dany held his hand and pulled him back.

"You can't leave me Jon..." Dany cried and threw herself at him. "You promised me. No matter what happens...You said that you will never leave me..."

"You are my birth father's sister Dany." Jon told her in a broken tone. "Do you not realize it? The gravity of this abominable thing we have..."

"Targaryens have been marrying within the family Jon. It is a tradition we've had for centuries." Dany said and breathed in deeply.

"It is not my tradition!" Jon snapped. "It is not something I am proud of!"

"So you're ashamed of me? Is that it?" Dany asked.

"I am not ashamed of you!" Jon cried. "I am ashamed of myself. I'm ashamed that I had given in and broken my oath as a Night's watchmen to be King. To be with you. All this for power. And now I have to deal with the consequences."

"Power that is rightfully yours!" Dany cried back and grabbed his arm. "You are a Targaryen. You are the son of Rhaegar. You are his heir!" Her violet eyes glowed fiercely as she stared at him. "We are meant to be together and rule together."

"No we're not..." Jon said and pulled his arm away from her. "I am a Stark! Whatever it is between us is over Dany. I cannot continue with this dishonour."

"We love each other!" Dany cried, tears just raging down her face when she heard that. It was the worst thing Jon could ever say to her. "How can you say that? How can that be a dishonour?"

"It is wrong Dany..." Jon said mournfully. He stood up and walked away, leaving her crying in the bedchamber all by herself.

* * *

Loras shook his head as he walked straight into Tyrion Lannister's chambers in the Tower of the Hand. It had been a stressful few weeks being Lord Commander of the City Watch. The Queen's moods had been erratic and the King had been distant. Everyone in Red Keep palace knew that things weren't going smoothly between the Royal pair. There were rumours that the King had kept a mistress although everyone was curious of the mystery woman. Many had been trying to figure out her identity.

"The Queen has gone mad!" Loras cried. "She wants the City Watch to report to her on the King's whereabouts and she has ordered the King's guard to kill the King's mistress if they ever saw her."

"The king has a mistress?" Tyrion was surprised to hear that. He thought it to be a baseless rumour.

"Didn't Varys tell you? He hasn't been in the Queen's chambers for weeks. He'll not bed her it seems..."

Loras then sighed and rolled his eyes. "Guess it's safe to say that the honeymoon is over..."

Tyrion was quiet when he heard that. So Jon Snow had shown repugnance to share the same bed with the Queen who turned out to be his aunt. Thing had gotten worse in the weeks to come. The Queen had gotten hysterical and paranoid and Tyrion grew worried. She had burned the hair of one of the handmaidens, accusing the poor girl of sleeping with the King. Tyrion had no choice but to deal with the fiasco. Varys didn't seem assured that the whole thing was just a one off case.

"The Queen has been seen playing with fire Lord Tyrion..." Varys whispered to him.

"She has seemed to adopt a fascination for the flames. She has totally ignored her twins and has been obsessed with burning her silk gowns. My _birds_ reported to me a few incidences where the Queen just sits there and stare at the fire burning a pile of clothes. She's becoming like her father."

"Do you really think she has the same affliction as her father did?" Tyrion asked Varys.

"T'would seem most likely." Varys sad and gave a sad sigh. "She has grown jealous and paranoid and I feel we need to inform the King. You do know that the Mad King hadn't always been mad. He became crazy with age."

Tyrion only wondered how it would all end. He tried to talk some sense to the King but he too was dealing with his own demons. The fall out from discovering the truth of their blood relations had caused a heavy strain on both monarchs. Tyrion only prayed that they would somehow reconciled. He did not want the friction and break up in the Royal marriage to cause even greater fractures within the Seven Kingdoms. The lords would not hesitate to seize any opportunity in disorder.

* * *

Jon came to the King's chamber one evening, shocked to see Dany sitting on the his bed watching as the fires burned his clothes that was in the middle of the room. Jon called his guards and they immediately put the flames out. Dany only laughed to herself. It had gotten rather loud and hysterical. Jon grew even more angry seeing that. He stared at his guards and ordered them to leave.

Dany had been behaving strangely the past weeks and for a while, Jon had totally ignored the matter. He had other things to deal with, such as ruling the seven kingdoms that his wife seemed to forget she was Queen of. He also had to spend time with his twins since they too had been neglected by their mother lately. Dany didn't want to feed them with her milk anymore and Arya had found nursemaids for them. Dany didn't even spend time with her children.

"What is wrong with you?" Jon asked her.

She looked at him and smiled absently, before whispering. "_Dracarys_..."

Jon went to the bed and tried to lift her up but Dany struggled in his arms. "Why do you forsake me Jon?" She asked him, the tears falling again. "Why do you not love me anymore?" She cried.

"It's not right Dany." Jon sighed as he held her, carrying her in his arms

"How can this be wrong?" Dany asked as she wept terribly, burying her face in his chest. "You are my true half Jon... Can't you see how you've hurt me...You broke me Jon...You broke my heart."

He only stood passively as she cried. There was nothing he could do or say. Nothing that could change things between them. Jon carried her from the bed and out of the King's chambers. The Royal physician was outside waiting and so were several of Dany's handmaidens and her ladies in waiting. He brought her to her bedchambers and set her on the bed. Dany had grown tired and fell to sleep while the Royal physician examined her. Jon stood there in the room and paced about. He hoped that Dany was alright.

The Royal physician then went to him. "The Queen is with child." He announced quietly.

"She is?" Jon was surprised to hear that and the Royal physician nodded.

"She's most probably a few months along now judging from the little round belly of hers." The Royal physician informed him.

"This could explain why she was behaving in an odd manner and had been rather distressed. Expecting mothers can have certain disturbances in the mind Your Grace."

Jon gave a nod and looked at Dany sleeping in the bed. She looked peaceful for a while and Jon knew the past month or so had been trying on her nerves. Her moods had been erratic even borderline mania. Jon even had to have a meeting with both his Hands on how to deal with the Queen's sudden bout of madness. Tyrion was certain Dany had inherited the Targaryen madness just like her father before her. Jon wasn't so sure. He felt that Dany was heartbroken but if only she knew that he was just as heartbroken himself.

* * *

"Are you going to divorce her Jon?" Arya asked him one morning while they were in his official chambers after a meeting with the Small Council had ended.

She had heard the talk between Varys and Tyrion that maybe a divorce could resolve the issue but there was the matter of ruling Westeros. If Jon divorces Dany, the lords will want him to abdicate the throne. And Tyrion might have no choice but to let the Lords and parliament know that Jon was the true heir to the Iron Throne, being the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen. That too would bring a whole host of problems seeing that everyone would know the King and Queen were related by blood and they had children from such a union.

"I can't leave her. I promise her I won't." Jon said and looked at the distant lighthouse out from the terrace.

"You still love her." Arya said and gave a smile.

"Of course I do." Jon said and gave a soft grunt. "Dany is my wife and she's with child again. My child. I just can't be with her like we were before."

"It's not her fault you know..." Arya sighed. Jon looked at his sister seeing Arya and the bump on her. Arya too was with child and Jon was happy seeing that his little sister seemed content and happy in her marriage with Gendry Waters.

"If hypothetically speaking, I find out that Gendry I were related by blood. I don't think I could love him any less..." She said and looked at Jon sympathetically.

"I don't love Dany any less too." Jon said. "I just...I just don't know how to deal with this..." He groaned softly. It was probably one of the most trying times in his life and Jon gone through a lot of tough times.

"All my life I was brought up thinking that Ned Stark was my father and I was his bastard son and I want to be better than that. To be more than a bastard..."

"You are not a bastard Jon..." Arya said and looked at him. "You are King. You're the most powerful man in all seven Kingdoms, maybe even the entire world. Please do not care what others say or think of you...It matters not."

"I know..." He breathed. _If only it was that easy..._

"You love her...and maybe..." Arya paused. "Maybe it might be something people frown upon if they knew. Maybe it's not right. But you love her. That's what matters...It's not your fault or hers...Love just happens."

Arya then sighed loudly. "If it's anyone's fault, it's bloody Robert Baratheon."

Jon just stared at Arya surprised by her words. Arya then gave a casual shrug. "Well it's true isn't it? The Fool just couldn't accept that your mother loved another...He started a bloody war for it and look what happened."

* * *

Jon was sleeping in his chair in his chambers when he heard the loud crash. It sounded like a large ceramic pot had toppled over. Jon woke up and rushed to his terrace. He saw the potted plant lying on the floor parts of it broken. He stared shocked to see Dany standing on the balcony's ledge dressed in her thin nightdress. She was precariously perched on the thin strip of stone railing. A hundred foot or more drop right beneath her.

"Dany..." Jon called her cautiously. "What are you doing?"

"I am so sorry..." She sobbed tears falling furiously down her from her eyes. "I can't live with this anymore. I know I hurt you Jon...I am very sorry..."

"No Dany...it's all right..." Jon said as he moved slowly towards her.

His heart was beating thunderously. Seeing Dany standing there on the ledge. She could just fall over. He knew his wife wasn't in the right frame of mind. She had been depressed lately and it was his fault. Jon had been too cold and cruel hearted to her. Neglecting her even, choosing to distance himself from her. It was selfish of him but Jon just wanted to be away from it all. He never thought about how badly it would affect Dany. He only realized it now seeing his wife standing there, being pushed so far to the edge, threatening to fal.l

"You're going to leave me aren't you Jon?" Dany cried. "I can't bear it..."

"I'm not going to leave you. I promised you didn't I." Jon said as he looked closely at her. "I would never leave you."

"It doesn't matter..." Dany said shaking her head. "You don't love me anymore. I can feel it. And you're right Jon. What we have is wrong. It's wrong and dishonourable...and I can't bear to see you so wretched and miserable by this. Your father told me to tell you and I didn't. I didn't listen to his words..."

Jon looked at her seeing her body was shaking as her sobs just grew. "My father?" He didn't quite understand what she was saying.

"When I almost died that day from the poison in Winterfell. I saw your father Ned Stark on the Wall. He told me to tell you the truth and I did try but I couldn't. I told him I'd rather die than live and lose you and I would. I really would," She said, a sad smile on her face as she looked at him.

"No Dany! Don't!" Jon screamed as he watched his wife's feet wasn't firmly on the railing. Dany had leaned her body back and fell into the empty space behind her.

"No! No!" Jon cried furiously. He didn't think and leapt out over the railing, falling into the darkness. Not caring about anything else but her. He hurled down and grabbed Dany's waist as he held her.

"I love you..." Jon whispered and held her close while she cried in his arms. He knew he would die with her too. How could he lived on without her? Jon closed his eyes knowing the end would be near soon, but at least he had his Beloved with him.

Jon suddenly heard a sharp roar piercing in the sky and in a split second, he saw the green, bronze scales as Rhaegal swooped down beneath them. Both Dany and him landed on the green dragon's back. Jon immediately steadied himself sliding down to Rhaegal's scruff where he sat there, Dany lying in his arms as he cradled her close. He sighed relieved as Rhaegal flew up into the sky. The dragon had saved them, the dragon named after his father had saved both their lives. Jon looked at Dany's face and gently brushed the stands of her silver hair, tucking it behind her ear.

"You're alright now. It's going to be alright. You're safe." Jon said reassuringly and moved to kiss her lips gently.

"I want to die..." Dany sobbed. "Just let me die."

"No..." Jon shook his head and he felt the tears falling from his eyes as well. "You can't leave me Dany. I won't let you." He brushed her tears aside and just cuddled her close to him, not wanting to ever let her go.

Jon didn't care what the others might say. Dany meant too much to him. He heard roars behind him and turned to see Drogon and Viserion flying behind them. Jon stared at the sky, seeing the pink and orange light of day. Dawn was breaking soon. It was going to be a new day and they were still together. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

When she woke up Dany found herself in a soft bed. She blinked her eyes again and stared up at the ceiling. She knew she wasn't in her bedchambers in Red Keep. She couldn't see the painted ceiling where murals of angels and her dragons were and there wasn't the grand crystal chandelier. She had been sleeping rather soundly, dreaming strange dreams. She had fallen somewhere. Hurling down a dark abyss. But Jon was there with her. He caught her in his arms and held her close. He told her he loved her and that he would not let her leave him and she felt the peace washing over her. Dany then sat up on the bed and saw Jon standing by the window.

"Jon..." She called him. He turned and smiled at her and Dany felt relieved seeing that. Jon walked towards her and sat on the bed. He looked tired and a little bleary eyed but still as handsome as ever.

"You're up..." He said and gently cupped her cheek with his hand.

"Where are we?" Dany asked him as she looked around the rather unfamiliar room.

"We're in Dragonstone." Jon replied. "The dragons brought us here..." He then bent to kiss her forehead tenderly and hugged her close.

"I thought I lost you..." He breathed. "You fell and I just fell right after then Rhaegal came flying to us. He swooped down from nowhere and saved us. His brothers flying behind him..."

"Rhaegal saved us?" Dany asked, surprised by it. She had been too overwrought by sorrow and loss lately. She finally remembered the previous night. She had wanted to jump down from the terrace in Red Keep palace.

Dany had lost her appetite to eat and even the will to be a mother to the twins. She had started burning her clothes as a way to deal with things. Just staring at the flames had a calming effect on her. Dany didn't quite know how to explain it. Except it just took everything away. The fear, the sadness, the pain. It was horrible being away from Jon the past two months. Being cast aside so callously. The distance and friction between them was too much for her to handle. It was heartbreaking. Dany then realized despite being the Mother of dragons and a Targaryen Queen, her heart was still so fragile. That she could so easily be hurt by love.

Jon nodded and stared at her. "I love you, you know that right?"

"I know..." Dany said and touched his cheek letting her fingers skimmed through his beard. Jon sighed softly, leaning his forehead onto hers. "I love you too Jon. I love you so much. It hurts sometimes...I thought you had loved another."

"No..." Jon uttered. "I could never love someone as madly and deeply as I do you...Never. Not in a thousand lifetimes Dany..."

Jon embraced her and Dany snuggled close. To be in his arms again, to feel his body enveloping hers. She wrapped her arms around him tighter, afraid he would just let go and leave like he did before. "What's going to happen now?" Dany asked him after a while as she lied in his arms.

"We'll be together, whatever happens, we will never leave each other's side." Jon said as he ran his fingers through her long, satinny silver strands. "We'll love each other like we've always have."

"Do you mean that Jon?" Dany asked as she looked up seeing his dark eyes staring right back at her. "Do you really mean it?"

Jon gave a nod and moved to kiss her lips tenderly. "You're my wife Dany. Whatever happens, whatever that was revealed later on. It doesn't matter. You're my wife first."

"I never want to hurt you..." Dany said and touched his face. "I thought..." Dany hesitated. "I thought I'd just carry the burden of the secret on my own."

"I know Dany. I never wanted to hurt you too and I'm sorry if I did." Jon told her. He tilted her chin up so he could stare right into her wet violet eyes. His hand touched her slightly swollen belly where their third child lied.

"I love you. Now and Always. For the next thousand lifetimes. I will always love you. We will always be together. Nothing will ever change that." Jon told her. His voice had gotten husky and deep. There was this sureness in his dark eyes the way he tenderly looked at her. All the love he had for her that shone through.

Dany nodded and kissed his lips again. She only snuggled close, wanting to lie in Jon's arms for as long as possible, before they had to head back to the Capital and back to their lives. She just wanted a few hours alone with him.


	12. Chapter 12 Fear & Blood

Chapter Twelve

"_Do you think honour keeps them in line? Do you think it's honour that's keeping the peace? It's fear! Fear and blood!" Robert Baratheon._

The Queen's fascination with fire had been rather sporadic. She would burn small things like a silk handkerchief or small wooden toys. Tyrion had been watching the situation closely. He was relieved to learn that the King and Queen had reconciled and that the King was already sleeping in the same bedchambers as his wife. Arya Stark was pleased with the news. In fact she was rather ecstatic to know that her brother and his wife were back together.

Tyrion wasn't as reassured as Arya. He was sure things couldn't be so easily slipped under a rug, especially one as serious as the incestry between the royal monarchs. The King had taken the task of ruling the Seven Kingdoms by himself and it was clear to parliament and the Lords that he was taking charge of things while his wife was convalescing.

In fact Jon Snow had taken a lot of matters in his own hands. He oversaw the construction of the college in King's Landing and the new Military Academy. He dealt with the food riots in the Free Cities. The Crown's army were sent to quell the masses and there were unfortunately a few hundred casualities. The people in conquered Essos weren't happy, seeing it as a suppression of their population by a brute foreign force. The King however promised that food shortages will be resolved once trade opened up, which was a problem when the nobles in the Westerlands and the Reach did not want to sail their ships East in protest against the Crown's taxation.

The King, with the advice of his Master of Coins and ministers from Volantis had decided on issuing coins with the Crown's Targaryen dragon seals and establishing a Crown Bank. A form of central bank, modelled after the Volantis banking system that had been in place for centuries. To encourage trade and businesses, the Crown Bank together with the Royal Treasury started to issue small loans to peasants and small merchants which was of course not to the Lords and nobles' favour. Several of the Lords, most especially from House Lannister had their own private merchant banks where the interest rates had been rather usurious. The merchant banks had provided the Lannisters with a tidy profit. The new Crown Bank posed a big threat to the Lannister banks. The Lannisters had appealed and brought the issue up to both Jaime and Tyrion.

The matter of the Crown's bank was never brought up in parliament and it was only rolled out by Royal decree. It was clear to Tyrion that Jon Snow did not seek approval or validation from anyone as King. The King did not even seek Tyrion's counsel and he was the Hand. Jon Snow simply did what he wanted. Absolute power in its purest form. _Not very diplomatic or wise_, Tyrion felt. Tyrion glanced at the King who obviously looked rather tired if not irritated by the stacks and rolls of documents on his desk. The Lords and parliament had been pushing for several Acts to be re-enacted that had been voted to pass but the King didn't seemed happy as he read it through.

"They want the peasants to pay a levy on the rents?" The King asked as he looked at Tyrion.

"The lords feel that since they have to be taxed the peasants too need to share the burden Your Grace."

"Twenty shillings a month?" The King's eyes went wide. "This is extortion." He said and frowned. "I'm not signing this."

"It has been voted in parliament." Tyrion informed him. "Had you been there Your Grace, you might have addressed the issue and hear the debates and reasons for them."

The King hadn't even attended a single session in parliament and his disdain for the Noble Houses was noted by the Lords who were present. The King would meet with the Small Council and Council of Commoners. He even took some time to meet with Greatjon Umber and Ser Rodrik discussing on matters concerning the North but he would not give the Lords and parliament his time of day.

"I am King. I won't agree to this law." The King said and shook his head. "Taking advantage of the poor and landless...It's madness."

"It will not look good on you Your Grace if the people see that their monarch does not support Parliament." Tyrion advised.

"There will be a revolt if the peasants have to pay so much. They already earn so little." The King cried.

"The nobles are your people too my King. And they are very powerful. They own the lands..."

"Unless the Crown confiscates them...The Lands were given to the nobles by the Crown and we have the power to take them away..." The King told Tyrion, his dark broody eyes piercing Tyrion's.

"It is a privilege that can be revoked Lord Tyrion." The King reminded him.

"That would be seen as tyranny." Tyrion said and stared at the King in disbelief.

"Tyranny of one king or tyranny of a dozen warmongering nobles? Which would the people prefer?" The King countered back.

Tyrion sighed loudly before continuing. "You do not want to anger the nobles any more Your Grace. They are already pushed to the limits. It would be wise to form alliances with them."

"I already have alliances." The King said rather curtly. "The House of Stark, Martell, Arryn and Tully are strong supporters of the Crown. So are many Houses in the North." He then looked at Tyrion. "And your House too I presume?"

"Of course Your Grace..." Tyrion said. He then sighed. "But may I be candid with you?"

"I always admire your honesty Lord Tyrion so you may..." The King said.

"I know both you and the Queen want to be seen as populists and loved by the smallfolk and commoners of the country but there are consequences when you shake the order of things Your Grace. The nobles though small in size are powerful. They control the lands, the mines and farms and trading ports and ships. If you shake the boat too hard, I'm afraid you might sink us all..." Tyrion said. He looked at the King who appeared to be pensive.

"So you're saying that I should give privileges to the nobles?" The King asked him, looking very annoyed. "The very same people who if fully armed can pose a threat to my crown. The very same people who had caused a revolt and toppled the last Targaryen king. The very same people I might add who betrayed my late brother and the Starks..."

"Your Grace...I am your Hand. I only want to counsel you on what is the best course of action..." Tyrion started. "You need to understand the politics and machinations in place. It is not as easy as you would think..."

The King gave a small frown and raised his hand, signalling to Tyrion to stop talking and he did.

"What I've learned so far from being King, is that everyone is in it for their own sakes and for personal gain. They want only to further their ambitions and causes. No one is here out of duty or altruism. They are loyal only to themselves and their Houses and maybe their family. A few want to chase power and riches thinking that it is glorifying and all theirs but none wants to really rule. None sees it as a sacred trust given to them..."

He then paused and stood up from his desk as he stared out of the window. "My father Ned Stark believed in honour and doing what is right. That was what mattered to him. It may seem naive but I still believed in it."

The King looked at Tyrion straight in the eye. "I will not sign these Acts into law. Let the Lords and parliament know this."

The King then turned at looked at Tyrion. "I do not think it is right for the Lords to charge a levy on top of the rents they are already making the peasants to pay. Tell them that and that as King I will get Treasury to tax them fairly on the properties they own and their profits and incomes. No one will pay any more or less than they should have."

Tyrion kept quiet and gave a nod. _What else could he say? _The King clearly did not want to take his advice. That was one of his vices. The King like kings before him had a rather large head and a large ego. He was stubborn being a Targaryen and he was also proud and distant like the Starks. He may be King but at times, Tyrion realized that even at twenty three, Jon Snow was still a brooding adolescent. One with a large chip on his shoulder which was obvious by the callous way he treated the nobles in court. Jon Snow never forgot that he was once only known as Ned Stark's bastard and was treated with scorn by many.

Tyrion sighed inwardly and cursed. _It was his fault, all his darned fault._ Tyrion was the one who told the boy not so long ago in Winterfell about his bastardy status and how it could be used as a shield.

"_Never forget what you are. The rest of the world would not. Wear it like an armour and it will never be used to hurt you."_

Clearly the boy took his advice to heart. If only the man who was King now would take Tyrion's other advice.

* * *

Stannis was annoyed and started ranting more than usual. He was in his mansion in King's Landing. His newly wedded wife, Margaery next to him. Stannis had agreed to wed again, despite Davos' suspicions and his own. He needed a wife and and an heir. Margaery was young and very beautiful and she did come with a rather large dowry.

"Tax! Tax! Tax!" He groaned. "That is the Crown's solution to everything!"

"And what is yours then?" Margaery asked as she sewed her tapestry.

"More freedoms and autonomy for the Seven Kingdoms...less centralized power." He said. Margaery only gave a small smile. "And if you were king you would have done that?" She asked Stannis.

He looked a little glum and pondered a while. "I would definitely not cut the nobility off."

"Is it true what they say that the Queen is burning things?" Margaery asked her husband. "There are rumours in court that she's becoming more like her father, the Mad King."

"I care not what the Queen does..." Stannis said in a dismissive tone. "We all know it's the Bastard that's the one ruling everything."

"A Bastard ruling all of us..." Stannis sneered and shook his head. "Taking our wealth and giving it to the undeserved."

"It is like giving alms..." Margaery sighed. "Alms and charities for the poor."

"Alms are something we give out of free will. Taxes are imposed on us. Surely you see the difference. Even my brother Robert didn't tax the nobles this much. The Bastard King taxes his people for his own gain. Giving the money to the North and building his many projects in the Crownlands and the Capital. What about the other Kingdoms?" Stannis asked.

"Our hard earned monies from the Reach and the Stormlands all goes to the Crown who in turn redistributes it to other Kingdoms. Those who had not rightfully earned the riches."

"So you're bringing this up in parliament?" Margaery asked.

"Maybe I should. I'll have all the Lords to protest. For equal autonomy from the Crown. The North has it, why can't all kingdoms? Maybe we can even take another step and ask for Independence." Stannis said.

"We all submitted to the Queen and her dragons." Margaery said, reminding him.

"To the Queen yes but not to the Bastard tyrant." Stannis told her.

* * *

Parliament had started rather mundanely that morning. It was the same stuggles and arguments. The Pro Crown factions consisting of the Starks and the Northern minor vassal houses, loyal to the Starks along with House Tully and Arryn, relatives to the Starks and House Martell from Dorne who had always been Targaryen loyalists. And then there were the Opposing factions led by Stannis Baratheon and the Tyrells, some Houses from the Westerlands including a few Lannisters. Jaime and Tyrion had tried to remain neutral.

"Taxes from those who have worked hard going to the undeserved!" Loras Tyrell spoke. "Tell me my Lords is this fair? Taxes that are not voted by parliament and ordered by the Crown."

"The King has a right! He is the Monarch." Edmure Tully stood up and said.

"The Queen is the true Monarch. The King is just her consort!" Kevan Lannister argued.

"And the King will assume the role in her absence..." Sansa Stark spoke and everyone looked at her. She was one of the few women allowed to sit in parliament. Representing her brother Bran who was still in Winterfell.

"Does the Queen even know what is going on?" Stannis inquired. "She's been cooped in her chamber for months."

"She is still resting and recovering Lord Baratheon," Tyrion informed him. "The Queen's pregnancy is not a comfortable one."

"The Crown's new bank has given loans to peasants and merchants... loans they could have taken from our merchant banks," One of the Lannisters spoke.

"The King believes it would be better for the people to be indebted to the Crown than to the monied interests..." Tyrion explained to his kinsmen. "It gives the Crown authority over the economy of the country than have it depended upon the nobles and their riches."

"So the wealth would then be concentrated in the Capital?" Kevan Lannister asked.

"It is where the Crown lives..." Tryion told him. The Lannisters were not happy evident by the looks on their faces but they all sat down.

"Why does the King not attend parliament?" Loras questioned boldly. "Does he not see us as important? He clearly does not care what we think. He does as he pleases."

"He is King Ser Loras." Sansa said and gave a frown. "It is generous enough that he has formed a parliament..."

"Whose mere existence he detests..." Loras said rolling his eyes. Some of the Lords agreed and cheered.

"I say the kingdoms should ask for autonomy." Stannis said and stood up. "Let the overlords and the Houses decide what is right for their own kingdoms. They would know better than the Crown. In fact I say we ask for full independence..."

Everyone was shocked and stared at Stannis as he continued with his soaring speech. "A resolution for free independent states. Where the Seven Kingdoms will be dissolved and be their own separate sovereign state and kingdom in their own right with their own political and economic structures. We are too diverse and too different to be ruled by one King or ruler!"

Stannis then stared at the Lords present in parliament. His blue eyes piercing as he looked at them.

"A ruler who is not only illegitimate and not a true born son, but one with no claim to the Iron Throne has no right to subject us. A destructive government that has injured us with disdain and absolute tyranny despite our endless attempts at redress, is not fit to rule over us. He is unfit to be a ruler! To be our Ruler!"

"You are calling for secession!" Lord Denys Arryn spoke. "This is treason!"

"The Queen's dragons will burn us alive!" Another Lord shouted.

"I'm fighting for the independent states. We were independent once long before Aegon conquered us with his dragons. We should be independent again! I rather die in a war for freedom than live a conquered man!" Stannis spoke with passion that everyone stared at him. Some stood up and clapped. Others cheered while some grew quiet and the rest discussed amongst themselves.

Tyrion knocked the gavel calling for silence. "Order! Order!"

But of course it was unheeded. Everyone was too preoccupied with their chaotic discourse. The boring session in parliament had gotten excited and heated. Talk of independence and secession. Tyrion shook his head and covered his face. He didn't know how he was going to tell the King.

* * *

Jon was shocked beyond words when he read the scroll that his Hand, Tyrion just handed over to him. It seemed that Stannis Baratheon and Loras Tyrell had asked the Crown to give the Stormlands and the Reach full independence. They wanted the Crown to recognize them as free, independent states with their own form of government. It was something rather unexpected to Jon.

"No." Jon said in flat tone and let the scroll fell to his desk. "Never! The seven kingdoms will stay together. There will be no secession."

"Then you will have to speak in parliament Your Grace." Tyrion said and heaved.

"Just strip them off their titles and lands..." Arya said with a frown. She was already heavily pregnant but Arya refused to rest at home. Despite her husband's protestations, she still wanted to carry out her duty as Hand to the utmost.

"We can imprison them in the dungeons." Arya suggested.

"That would be most imprudent Lady Arya." Tyrion told her coldly.

"This is treasonous. They are lucky we won't have their heads." Arya said crossing her arms. She then looked at Jon. "Or maybe we should."

"Lord Tyrion is right Arya," Jon said to his sister. "This is my fault. I have neglected parliament and the Lords and they in return, have retaliated. The Crown needs them. The Reach is the most fertile region in the Kingdoms. They grow wheat there and crops that can be traded with the others. They are pro-Targaryen. I can talk to them..."

"But they hate you Jon. The Tyrells..." Arya started. "They think you were responsible for their relatives' deaths."

"Maybe there is another way..." Jon spoke as he pondered in his head.

There must be another way. Another way to get rid of the threat. Jon would not have anyone undermine his authority and that of the Crown. He could not be King of the Seven Kingdoms only to lose them in secession. But if one can't use fear and blood to get rid of his enemies, what else can a King do that would not mar his conscious and yet preserve his authority? Jon did not want to plunge the Kingdoms into another war but he might have to if the Reach and the Stormlands want their independence.

* * *

A King could either be loved or feared. Jon knew he wasn't a man of the people. Unlike his charismatic wife, he was a solitary, private man. It would be easier to rule with an iron fist but it was against all he had been taught and believed. Deep inside Jon saw himself as a Stark and Starks belived in honor above all. Jon realized that he needed an ally. An important ally one with divine authority. He decided to hold a meeting with the High Septon and the clergy the next day at the _Great Sept of Baelor._

The High Septon looked at him closely and Jon was a little nervous. The High Septon was an intimidating man, the same one who had ordered the arrest of Cersei Lannister and Margaery Tyrell years ago on grounds of adultery. He was a powerful man and one who was quite severe and serious. The High Septon wore robes trimmed with gold fabric and a crystal crown on his head.

"Are you here to confess your sins Your Grace?" The High Septon questioned.

"I am here to seek the support of the Septs. For the clergy to recognize my rule as King as a divine right and that I am the Iron Throne's rightful heir." Jon said.

He looked at High Septon and the other bishops. They were rather surprised by his words.

"You are the Queen's consort are you not?" The High Septon asked.

"I need the Septs to officially support my rule." Jon said. "Stannis Baratheon wants to secede and it must not happen..." Jon paused. He breathed in before continuing.

"Everything will be in disarray. Stannis is not a believer of the Faith...He will spread his new religion in the lands."

"You worship the Old gods yourself." The High Septon said and looked at Jon solemnly.

"I am a defender of the Faith." Jon spoke. His eyes flashed at the priest and his voice raised. He hated having his beliefs questioned.

"If Lord Baratheon is such a threat. Why do you not eliminate the threat yourself?" The High Septon inquired.

"That would go against the Faith would it not?' Jon countered back. "To kill someone undeservedly and as King I must lead by example."

The High Septon grew quiet and members of the clergy and the other bishops were seen discussing among themselves. Jon only held his breath. To have the Septons at his side would give the devout, faithful subjects which many in Westeros were, a reason to rally behind him. The King would be seen as defender of Faith and Stannis would be painted as a heretic.

* * *

Stannis Baratheon was surprised when a messenger from the Crown arrived at his mansion with a scroll. The messenger came in quite late in the night and one of his stewards had opened the door. Stannis unrolled the scroll and stared at it. Margaery looked at him and wondered what it was. Stannis grew angry and tore the scroll before throwing it down to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Margaery asked him.

"I've been ordered to go to Volantis. I am to be the new governor there. The Crown just appointed me. Davos will be steward of Storm's End while I'm gone and his son will be taking my place in parliament."

"Oh..." Margaery uttered, surprised by the news.

"We will need to leave by ship next week." Stannis informed her.

"I don't think I should go on such a long journey My Lord." Margaery told him.

"And why is that?" Stannis almost shouted. He was getting angry by the situation that had arisen. It felt like he was being ambushed again by the Bastard king.

"Because I am with child." Margaery told him. Stannis only stared at his wife in shock.

* * *

"Your Grace..." Loras greeted Jon as he walked into the King's official chambers. Jon looked at the tall knight and gave a nod. Loras Tyrell walked towards him. Jon smiled at the man but Loras was cautious to return the smile.

"Please sit Ser Loras," Jon said and gestured at the chair. Loras looked at him warily before taking a seat.

"You wished to see me?" Loras asked.

"Yes...Ser Loras," Jon replied. "It has come to my attention. The calls in parliament made for independence and secession from the Crown."

"Made by Stannis Baratheon Your Grace..." Loras said and gave an uncomfortable cough.

"But you supported it." Jon said staring at Loras.

"He is my brother in law." Loras spoke.

"He is the same man who killed your lover." Jon reminded Loras. Jon saw the emotions that flashed in Loras' eyes and his face. It was clear that Loras was still affected by Renly Baratheon's death.

"I have sent Lord Stannis away to serve as Governor in Volantis. He will be highly paid and hopefully not cause problems in parliament. I wanted to banish you too Ser Loras..."

"And why didn't you?" Loras asked him, his green eyes narrowed.

"Because I know that even though you despise me, you are loyal to the Queen." Jon said to Loras who only kept quiet.

"Your family had been Targaryen loyalists during Robert Baratheon's rebellion and the Queen has never forgotten that." Jon spoke.

"I did not give out the order for your relatives to be massacred Ser Loras. It was a horrible thing what happened and I had punished those involved."

Loras didn't say a word and Jon sighed. "I need your support Ser Loras as well as those in your factions in parliament to pass the Acts I want to be passed."

"And I would support those acts because..." Loras said, dragging the words out as he looked at Jon.

"Because I am your King and your Overlord Ser Loras." Jon said firmly, his eyes staring straight at Loras, challenging him. "By divine right of the gods..." Jon then showed the scroll that was sanctioned by the High Septon. Loras stared at it surprised.

"And also..." Jon paused. "I give you my word that your sister and all in your immediate family will be granted amnesty."

"Amnesty?" Loras stared at the King.

"From any charges of treason that may have arisen." Jon said simply. Loras only stared at him dumbstruck, his green eyes widened. "Your Grace..." He cried.

"Please Ser Loras..." Jon said coldly and held out his hand, wanting to hear nothing more. Loras looked at him before finally giving a nod.

"You will have my support Your Grace," Loras finally told him. "Mine and the others in my faction full support."

Loras sounded defeated as he agreed and Jon smiled to himself. It was done and not a drop of blood spilled and not one head severed. The King had won again. Maybe fear was a good motivator so long as he knew how far to push.

* * *

With Stannis Baratheon gone to be governor of distant Volantis and Loras Tyrell kept in line, the King finally presented himself in front of parliament and addressed both the lords and the Coucil of Commoners. He brought the High Septon and several high ranking bishops, septon leaders of the each of the seven kingdoms to sit in as well. In a grand gesture, the High Septon conducted a prayer service and even anointed holy oil on the King. It was there for the nobles and parliament to see that Jon Snow had the Divine blessings of the gods and as King he was the paramount Defender of the Faith.

Tyrion shook his head and smirked to himself. _The Divine Right of Kings. _Guess he had underestimated the young monarch and his political strategy. The King clearly knew what he was doing. Jon Snow was not a vicious king or an idiot king. Quite the opposite. He turned out to be an intelligent strategist and was quite shrewd for someone who had spent his formative adolescent years guarding the Wall in the extreme cold.

"I am here as your Monarch with blessings from the Faith and the gods..." The King started. He stood there and looked at all those present.

"As the gods intended, the Seven Kingdoms are stronger united than they will be divided. A house cannot stand on a just one or two pillars but seven pillars, seven strong large pillars will make it stronger to withstand any element from the storms and rain..."

Everyone present looked at the King as he continued his speech to parliament.

"I want to be a just King. And I want nothing but peace, prosperity and happiness for all my subjects. I am young but I am not naive. Neither am I green to the ways of the world. I can assure you that I take this sacred trust as your Monarch seriously. I wish to serve my people well. All of them, rich and poor, nobles and commoners. Men and women from all corners of the Seven Kingdoms..."

"Some, many in fact still believe that the old notion of fear and blood are needed keep the kingdoms together but it is something I abhor. Do not think me weak or cowardly for I will not hesitate to strike enemies of the state and those who wish me and the Queen harm but war is not a policy of mine and neither is murder and corruption. This is what I promise as King that everyone will be treated fairly and justly and everyone will a have a stake in this social contract we will have in these Kingdoms. Nobles, commoners, the Crown and the Septs."

The parliament later passed the Commoner's Act unanimously letting the Council of Commoners to join the Council of Lords and be part of parliament. The Council of Commoners were representatives voted by the common people from all Seven Kingdoms, ten from each Kingdom and it was a form of representative government of the people. They form about half of parliament as the other half were from the noble Houses and clergy, unelected but still powerful. The first true Parliament of the Seven Kingdoms was finally put together to represent the people. Of course, the Crown still had most of the power. It is still very much an absolute monarchy afterall.

* * *

While he had won victories on the political front, things at home were not going too well for Jon. Dany's third pregnancy had been trying and she had been rather depressed and erratic. Too erratic to be in court even. She had been burning things, little things like trinkets and wooden boats and figurines and Jon grew worried. Her fascination for fire had been like an obsession. Jon would sigh as Dany burned things in a bonfire in the palace courtyard. She would also start talking about her future conquests of the Shadowlands and to travel to Slaver's Bay.

"There are dragons in Asshai Jon..." Dany said to him one evening as the bonfire burned. Jon would accompany her after they put the twins to bed. He realized that the bonfire would help Dany, gave some form of calm as she just burned things and watched the flames.

"We need to find female dragons that can mate with my _children_ and procreate more dragons." Dany told him.

"I don't know if that's a good idea Dany..." Jon said with a tired sigh. He wasn't sure Dany understood that having more dragons would just be a bad idea.

"And why not?" Dany asked him.

"The dragons are already causing problems." Jon informed her.

"What do you mean?"

"They have been burning the wheatfields outside the Capital and the farmers complained. I had to put them in their dragonpits."

"No Jon!" Dany cried out. "They need to be free! They need to fly or they'll be stunted and they won't grow."

Jon shook his head. He didn't want the dragons to grow any larger. They were already gargantuan enough and causing too much trouble, especially Drogon. Jon knew the black dragon was hard to keep in line. Rhaegal and Viserion were far tamer than their fiery tempered brother.

"They have to behave themselves Dany." Jon said. He was shocked when Dany started to cry, wailing like a child.

"What is wrong?" He asked her and Dany cried even more. He was worried and went to hug her.

"You don't love them do you?" Dany sobbed. "Love who?" Jon asked as he held her close.

"My dragons..." Dany said and Jon just ran his fingers through her hair.

"Of course I do Dany." He said and kissed her head. "I'm their _father _remember?" Dany calmed down for a while and stopped her cries. She then gave a yawn. "I'm tired Jon..." She told him.

He gave a small smile and lifted her in his arms. Jon the carried her away from the courtyard. The King's guards marched behind him as he walked down the halls and up the stairs heading to Dany's chambers. Her ladies in waiting took her cloak off and Jon laid her in bed.

Dany looked at him and gave a sleepy smile. "Tell me a story..." She told him as he got in the bed next to her.

"What kind of story?" Jon asked and pulled her close. Dany rested her head on his chest. "About your time in The Wall."

"There isn't much to tell..." He said and sighed. Jon heard a soft whine and the door opened. The King's guard standing at the door had let his direwolf Ghost in as was instructed by the King. Jon looked at Ghost and patted his bed. Ghost leapt up and rested on the foot of the bed, lying down quite comfortably. Dany smiled seeing Ghost in the bed and let her feet rubbed Ghost's fur, something the direwolf seemed to enjoy.

"There is..." Dany said softly. "Tell me about the time you got captured by the wildlings..."

"It was horrible Dany..." Jon said absently as he stroked her hair and recalled what had happened. "I was dragged in the cold, walked for miles with my hands tied and they forced me to fight my mentor..."

Jon clenched his eyes for a while. He could still remember walking in the snow and ice and the freezing cold. Ygritte and Rattleshirt taking him prisoner and Qhorin Halfhand. The swordfight that followed later on. Jon could hear the clash of metals at the back of his head and the look on Qhorin's face when Jon struck him dead. Jon would never forget it.

"You killed him didn't you?" Dany asked him.

"I did." Jon said quietly. "First time I ever killed someone...Felt as if my soul was ripped in half..."

"That's how I felt when I thought you didn't love me." Dany said in a soft voice. "My soul just ripping away from me."

"I'm so sorry Dany..." Jon told her and pulled her tighter against him. He kissed the top of her head again. He hated that he had hurt her.

"Just don't ever do that again..." Dany yawned before closing her eyes. "I won't," Jon vowed. "I promise you. I love you."

Jon grew quiet as his wife slept in his arms. He stared into space, his hand gently rubbing Dany's large bump. Their child would arrive soon. Jon wondered if it was a boy or a girl. He hummed the old Valyrian song that Dany would sing to their twins. He never knew the lines or the ancient Valyrian tongue just the melody. It calmed him somehow and he fell to sleep dreaming vivid, strange dreams that he was back at the Wall.

He saw Qhorin and his father, Ned Stark. He saw Ygritte in her fur hooded jacket. And then there were tall figures walking in the blizzard. Strange figures staggering in the snow that looked human but were not. Their faces looked like rotted meat and their eyes dead and bodies, mere skeletons. _White walkers... _He woke up gasping. Jon turned to look at Dany still sleeping soundly beside him, comfortably in his arms. _It was just a dream wasn't it?_ It couldn't mean anything.


	13. Chapter 13 The Widow

_Hi. Sorry for the extremely long wait. So so so sorry. Was busy with my boring real life and work. And stress at work had caused a huge mental jam that I hope will be resolved Mental block sucks. It's like a big, black blank and you can't make anything out in your mind. I hope to update as much as I can but sometimes real life gets in the way of things. Thanks again for your reviews and for taking the time to read my story. I know some might wonder how this story came about. Honestly I was searching for Jon/Dany fanfics online that weren't one shots and at the time, I couldn't find any. So I decided to just pen one myself... which is why this story might seemed a bit farfetched to some. But it's just my take on how I wish things would be...Plus it's cool that Kit n Emilia are big Jon/Dany shippers. Hehehe. They should really get together and make babies in real life..._

* * *

Chapter Thirteen.

_King's Landing_

When their third child was born, Jon was with Dany, never leaving her side during the long labour. It was a long and hard labour, longer than the twins' and the child was a beautiful baby girl with dark hair and her mother's violet eyes. Dany decided to name her Lyanna after Jon's mother. Arya too had a baby, a boy named Robert after his uncle. The new babies were a blessing to the Starks. But Jon realized that Dany's condition had worsened. She was even more depressed and withdrawn after Lyanna's birth. She would not feed the baby or touch her and it made Jon worried. Lyanna had nursemaid to feed her as the Queen seemed too withdrawn to care for newborn babe. Often times, Arya would nurse Lyanna herself.

"Dany what's wrong?" Jon asked her as she just stared at the fireplace one evening.

Jon could tell she seemed agitated and annoyed even. Dany kept tapping the armchair furiously with her fingernails that had gotten rather long and talon like. She refused to have them cut short.

"Why are we not heading East?" Dany asked him, her voice had turned rather authoritative and demanding. "We had plans to conquer the Shadowlands Jon. Why are we not doing so?"

Jon stared at his wife, taken slightly aback by the shrilling harshness in her voice. "You've just given birth Dany. You need to recover."

"I'm fine." She said dismissively. Dany then looked at Jon closely. "Stop treating me like I'm an invalid Jon or a child. I am Queen! A Targaryen Queen!"

"Sweetheart please..." Jon sighed. "Calm down."

"No..." Dany shook her head. "Enough of this! The Iron Throne is mine Jon! Mine! I am the Queen and Sovereign of the Seven Kingdoms. I will not have you treat me like I'm some crazy woman that should be locked up."

"I never treated you that way!" Jon cried and looked at his wife. "You are not well Dany. That is why you need to rest. Do you forget that you almost killed yourself?"

Dany glared at him, her eyes like shards of violet lead. "You think I don't know what you've been doing? You think all these time, while you've kept me in my chambers I was not aware of what changes you've brought. All without consulting me."

"I did not see the need to burden you any further..." Jon said quietly.

"I am Queen Jon." Dany told him firmly. She stood by the fireplace and looked at the flames, distracted again, her thoughts miles away.

"I know Darling," Jon said. He gave a soft sigh and moved towards her. Jon pulled Dany in his arms, embracing her from behind. "You are my Queen, my only Queen." Jon whispered in her ear.

"Don't leave me Jon..." Dany whispered back, her voice had gotten small and childlike and Jon hugged her tighter. She was vulnerable again. The pendulum of emotions had swung drastically. Dany was no longer angry and agitated.

"Please don't leave me..." Dany told him and brought his hands to her lips kissing them fervently.

"I won't." He told her. "You know I won't. I would never leave you."

"I don't know what's wrong with me..." Dany said and turned to face him. She had tears in her eyes and seeing that Jon grew worried. He hated to see her cry. Jon only wished he could take away whatever pain and distress she was feeling.

He saw the glimpse of Dany's normal sane self in her wet violet eyes. His wife was still there. The Dany he knew and love, untouched by any form of madness. He gently brushed the tears away and pulled her closer in his embrace.

Dany snuggled closer, burying her face in his chest. "I hear things sometimes...and I see things..."

"What kind of things?" Jon asked.

"Spirits. I thought I saw my father. I heard him Jon. He was laughing at the flames and then I saw dead bodies walking in the snow..." Dany told him, shivering as if in fear and Jon just held tighter and closer to him.

"They're not real Dany..." Jon told her.

"I don't know what's real and what's not anymore." She told him. "These spirits are pulling me away Jon. They want me to go with them."

"It's going to be alright." Jon spoke, trying his best to reassure his wife. "I'm here Dany. I won't let them hurt you. I won't let them take you."

"That's why I can't be with the children Jon..." Dany sobbed as she looked up at him. "I'm afraid I might hurt them."

Jon grew quiet and hugged her close, his hands stroking her back hoping to lull her to sleep. Anything that would make Dany feel better.

* * *

Jon was in his official chambers one morning when Arya walked in with a young woman. He looked up seeing the woman. Arya then introduced the woman to Jon. Her name was Talisa Maegyr, his brother Robb's widow. Jon had never met Talisa before. After Robb's death, she had returned home to Volantis and lived with her family. Jon learned recently that Talisa had given birth to a daughter who was Robb's only child. He then knew he had a responsibility to his fatherless niece and his widowed sister in law.

Arya had written to Talisa, inviting her and her daughter Valyrie to court. Jon didn't know what to expect but he was rather stunned to finally meet Talisa. She had raven hair and dark brown eyes. Her skin, a clear, olive tone and her features rather delicate. She bowed to him and Jon smiled. Talisa was attractive, not strikingly beautiful like his wife but her face was serene and she had this calming grace about her. He could see why Robb was drawn to her.

"Your Grace," She greeted him with a polite smile as she curtsied.

"Lady Stark," He smiled back at Talisa as he greeted her. "How was your journey?"

"Tiring Your Grace." Talisa replied. "It is my first time in the Capital."

"I hope you like your rooms Lady Stark." Jon spoke to her. He just wanted to make sure that she and her daughter would be comfortable.

"I do Your Grace and I thank you for your hospitality and generosity..." Talisa said to him.

"It is more than enough for my daughter and me. It has been a while since I left Westeros, things have changed a lot since..." She hesitated and looked into Jon's eyes.

Talisa's dark eyes looked sad and for a while Jon wished she would know that he had missed Robb as much as she did.

"Lady Stark, you are my late brother's wife. I would have done anything for Robb, please allow me the same courtesy." Jon spoke.

"Thank you Your Grace..." Talisa said and gave a small smile, one Jon returned warmly.

* * *

Jon smiled, seeing Valyrie playing with the twins in the palace gardens. She was a lovely girl with auburn hair and her mother's dark eyes. The young seven-year old seemed much taken with the twins. Valyrie played with them often and the twins grew attached to her too. Talisa and her daughter had been in Red Keep for over a month and they have yet to meet the Queen. Jon was having tea in the gardens with Talisa. He had grown fond of Talisa's company. She was a kind woman and Jon saw how gentle and loving she was with the twins and with her own daughter.

"Robb told me that you saved him many times when you were both younger." Talisa said, smiling as she poured tea into hers and Jon's cups. "He said he almost drowned once but you came and rescued him."

"He wasn't a good swimmer..." Jon said and gave a smile as he remembered when they were ten and when Robb almost drowned but he had dived right into the freezing river and pulled him to the riverbank.

"He had never forgotten that..." Talisa sighed. "He was always talking about you and about his family and Winterfell...I think he missed all of you a lot. He missed home a lot."

Jon detected the sadness in Talisa's voice and he grew melancholy as well. Robb was his brother, his bestfriend. They were inseparable growing up and even though Lady Stark never liked the closeness between her son and her husband's bastard, the bond between brothers was unbreakable.

"I wanted to join Robb in the War..." Jon said, his voice held a tinge of regret. "I kept thinking that maybe if I was there with him, right in the Vanguard, on the battle front. He'd be alright. Maybe he'd still be alive...I would have saved him somehow."

He sounded so sure as he gulped a lump down his throat. Jon had never talked about it before. The guilt he had carried with him about his brother's death. How in some ways Jon had blamed himself.

"Don't think like that." Talisa whispered and Jon felt her touching his hand. Strange that he felt instantly soothed. His dark eyes looked right at hers.

"Robb knew how important the Night's Watchman oath was. He knew you couldn't abandon your post. He understood." Talisa told him.

"Besides if you were with him Your Grace, you'd probably be killed at the wedding too...and where will we all be now?"

Jon grew quiet as he thought about it. Dany once said that things happened for a reason, but Jon knew he'd give up the Iron Throne if it could bring his dead brother and father back. He had missed them terribly. Then Jon wondered if he'd lose Dany in the process. Because it was Dany who had chosen him and he was King solely because of his marriage to her. Jon breathed in and just watched on as his three-year old twins played with their cousin. His loyal direwolf, Ghost had joined them and he smiled hearing the children's laughter. They were enjoying themselves. Valyrie had blown bubbles into the air and the twins tried to catch it.

Never in a thousand years, Jon thought this would ever happen, both his and Robb's offspring happily playing in the gardens of Red Keep castle. That he would ever rise above being a Night's watchman. That he'd fall in love and marry and have children of his own. He was brought up as an outsider in Winterfell. A bastard, even though he knew his father loved him dearly and Ned Stark had done all he could to protect him. Jon would forever be grateful for that. That his father would claim Jon as his own, risking the ire of his beloved wife and the gossips. It must have been difficult for Ned Stark but he had made a promise to his late sister and seeing Valyrie Jon knew he had to take care of the little girl and raise her as his own as well. He owed Robb at least that much.

Jon stared at the blue sky with its white fluffy clouds. He could almost hear Robb's boyish laughter in the distant memories of his childhood, not so long ago. They were running down the fields outside Winterfell, playing games boys often played with Theon Greyjoy, who was once their childhood friend. The brothers had set a prank on Theon and they knew he'd run after them, screaming bloody murder.

"_Come on Jon! Hurry up! I don't think Theon can catch us if we run faster!"_

"_Your mother's going to kill us Robb!" _Young Jon had gasped as he breathed in for air_._

Robb only laughed and shook his head, his copper curls blown by the wind._ "You know Father won't allow it. He loves us too much."_

"_Come Jon." _Robb called to him._ "I'll race you down the hill."_

Jon just stood there for a while. Almost immobilized watching as his brother ran down. Robb was running quickly down the hill, away from him. _No. Robb don't go. Not yet. Wait for me..._

"Your Grace..."

Jon was suddenly brought back to the present. He was still sitting in the gardens having tea with Talisa. He looked ahead and stared at Talisa. She looked concerned seeing the lost look on his face.

"What is it?" Talisa asked him.

"Nothing..." Jon shook his head lightly. "I was just thinking."

She smiled gently back. "You seemed miles away."

"I do that sometimes..." Jon responded. "I let my thoughts run away from me."

"Oh I envy you Your Grace," Talisa smiled. "I worry too much to let my thoughts escape me at times."

Talisa let out a sigh and Jon watched on as she looked at her daughter playing with the twins. He knew that Talisa worry for Valyrie and her future and he wanted to reassure Talisa that it would all be alright. That both she and her daughter would be safe in King's Landing. That he would protect them and make sure no harm would ever come to them.

"You don't have to worry anymore Lady Stark." Jon told Talisa. "I promise that both you and your daughter will be safe here. Red Keep is your home. It will always be your home."

* * *

Jaime Lannister had visited the Queen in her new chambers. One in a turret high above Red Keep. He wasn't sure why she was cooped up there but apparently Her Grace needed a lot of rest and privacy. Jaime knew his visits weren't proper but he was concerned for her well being. The Queen meant a lot to him and now with Cersei gone forever, Jaime realized that Daenerys Targaryen was the only woman left whom he had strong feelings for. And he had grown fiercely protective of her. He was in love with her and Jaime wasn't afraid to admit it anymore.

"What news of the Council and parliament?" The Queen asked as they played chess. Jaime had been updating her with the going ons in court and around the country.

"Quiet lately," Jaime replied with a smile. "With Stannis Baratheon gone, I'd say the fiery speeches and flames of revolution have been put out for good."

"The Lannisters are still angry with me and Tyrion for not supporting their petition to have the Crown Bank stop giving out loans to the merchants and Small Folk...There goes our warm welcome during family events." Jaime then rolled his eyes as he continued with his laments. Strange that the Queen had become his most closest confidante.

"Hmmm..." The Queen murmured to herself as she stared at the chessboard. "And this Talisa Maegyr..." She inquired.

"You mean Robb Stark's widow..."

"Has she been settling well?" She asked him.

Jaime gave a nod. "She's been given a title and some lands. The King prefers having her around."

"He never lets me meet her." The Queen spoke. "Then again..." She sighed. "He never lets me meet anyone these days. He says I'm still ill and that I need to recover..."

"The King is concerned for Your Grace's health." Jaime said. The Queen ignored Jaime's comment. Of course both knew it was all talk. The Queen had been cooped in her chambers for months, no one ever sees her.

It was to Jaime as if, a _coup d'état_ had happened somewhere during the silent dark of night months ago. So muted and fluid that no one said anything when it was done. The Queen had been overthrown and held prisoner and her husband now ruled the Seven Kingdoms. It was Jon Snow who held the reins of power and not his wife, the real Targaryen Queen. Jaime didn't know what to make of it. He had voiced it out to his brother Tyrion, arguing that Jon Snow was just the Queen's consort and not the real regent, _er go_, the power Jon Snow had, was not legitimately his to dispense with. Tyrion shut him up, telling Jaime that politics was complicated enough without having Jaime and his _Golden Smart Arse_ interfering in it.

She then looked at Jaime closely. "Is she beautiful? The Stark widow?"

"Comely enough." Jaime said and shifted in his chair. "Though she's not as beautiful as you Your Grace."

Jaime then coughed before looking at the Queen. "The King is very close to her Your Grace. She's always with the children. She dines with him every evening and he doesn't mind having her in meetings."

"He seems taken by her..." the Queen said almost wistful. Her violet eyes seemed distant. "So he finally found his _lady friend_..."

Jaime kept quiet hearing it as he focussed on the chess pieces on the board. He saw the ivory Queen and then the Knight and the King. The King was vulnerable, his Queen so far away. He wondered how uncomplicated it seemed. If only things were that easy in reality. Jaime smiled to himself and moved his Knight. He looked up and met the Queen's bright violet eyes as a beautiful smile curved on her flawless face.

"Now Lord Lannister, you didn't really think that I'd let you win now did you?" She asked him and gave a soft laugh.

Jaime smiled back. He had missed hearing her laughter. Jaime watched as the Queen moved her chess piece and displaced his King. She had won but secretly, he had let her.

"I wouldn't dream of it Your Grace." Jaime told her. The Queen then grew quiet and she suddenly stood up. Jaime watched as she moved towards the window and stared out. The Queen was there in the room but yet she really wasn't. Jaime realized her mind was so far away.

"When will you be coming back to court Your Grace?" He asked her. "Your presence has been greatly missed."

"I don't think I'm well enough. I feel safe here..." The Queen replied. Her voice seemed sad.

"Why do you need to feel safe?" Jamie prodded. "What is it that you are afraid of?" Jaime asked her. He wished he could allay whatever fears she had.

"Of myself it seems..." The Queen said. "I'm afraid I'll do something unforgivable in my condition. That I'll be like my father had once been...I don't want to be cruel and mad. I don't want to be like him."

"You're not...You're nothing like him." Jaime told her as he got up from the chair and walked towards her. "You are not cruel and you are not mad. You are Queen. The Iron Throne is yours..."

He stared at the Queen, standing so close to her. Jaime almost wanted to pull her in his arms. But there were two Queen's guards standing silent at the doorway. Of course they would never be left alone. The Queen's handmaidens were in the adjoining room.

"Why did you let him rule in your stead? You are the True Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms." Jaime reminded her.

"No..." The Queen shook her head. "It's not mine anymore. The Iron Throne belongs to him. It's rightfully Jon's. I see it now." The Queen looked at Jaime.

"Can't you see what had happened to all those vying for the Iron Throne but did not deserve it? They had been cursed Lord Jaime. They either died or went mad with power. The Iron Throne is cursed. Only the True Kings will be safe..."

"What are you talking about? The King is a Stark. He's Ned Stark's bastard son...He has no claim. No claim at all..." Jaime whispered harshly.

"But that's not really true..." The Queen whispered back. She stared at Jaime and it was clear that her speech wavered. She hesitated for a while before breathing in and asserting her thoughts.

"Jon is the King Lord Jaime. He is the Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. The true heir to the Iron Throne. We must accept it."

Jaime was confused by her cryptic words. He didn't know what that even meant. Jon Snow the true heir to the Iron Throne. It was the most incredulous, ludicrous thing Jaime had ever heard. The Queen had probably drifted into her erratic thoughts again.

* * *

"How was your day?" Jon asked his wife when he went into the Dany's new chamber that was up in the turret.

Dany was lying on the chaise lounge. She seemed calmer and Jon was grateful for that. No more episodes of madness and hysteria so far. Jon had thought it was a good idea to have Dany isolated from everyone else while she recovered. Master Hirik had concocted a new potion that seemed to calm her nerves and make her less erratic. It was rather costly with rare ingredients that were hard to come by but the Magi from Qarth said that it would work and so far, he had been proven right.

"It went well." Dany replied. "I fed Lyanna again. She's grown chubbier now."

"That's good." Jon smiled. He thought of his youngest one. She was an adorable baby girl with thick black hair and her mother's violet eyes. It warmed his heart knowing that Dany had begun to bond with their child.

Dany seemed to recover well and he was hopeful that soon whatever bouts of madness Dany had would disappear for good. Her fingernails were cut short and her behaviour appeared normal. The children were brought to see her every day and she seemed happier being with them.

Jon walked to his wife and kissed her lips. He sighed in exhaustion and sank down on the floor as he knelt beside the chaise sofa. Jon let his head fell on Dany's lap and he closed his eyes for a while as Dany ran her fingers through his dark curls. He liked having his hair stroked lovingly by his wife. It was like a soothing balm after a long, hard day.

"Lord Jaime came to see me..." Dany told him.

"Oh...He did?" Jon uttered as he moved and lifted his head and looked at her.

Jon wasn't that surprised. Jaime Lannister had been a frequent visitor. He looked at Dany wondering how the visit went. Jon wasn't sure if he liked it. Not that Jaime Lannister was a threat to him. Both he and Dany had gone through too much to ever let anything or anyone come between them.

"We played chess and talked for a while." Dany said. "He told me about Lady Talisa and how close you've grown towards her."

"You know it's nothing Dany..." Jon told her and gave a tired groan. He didn't want to get into an argument with his wife, especially when things had vastly improved. Jon grew annoyed with Jaime Lannister. He should have known that the Lannister man would have seized any opportunity to sow the seeds of discord between him and his wife.

"She is like a sister to me...You have nothing to be jealous of." He explained.

"I'm not jealous Jon." Dany said and breathed in. She smiled at Jon and that surprised him, seeing that Dany didn't fly into a jealous rage or even show a hint of anger.

"I'm glad you have a friend." Dany said. "I really am."

She then moved and pressed a kiss on his lips. Jon smiled and wrapped his arms around her as he sat on the chaise. Jon kissed her more and Dany pulled away after a while.

"I know this hasn't been easy for you..." Dany told him. "You must have been so worried for me and our children. And dealing with the Lords and their Houses on your own."

"As long as you're with me. Anything is possible..." Jon said, pulling her close. He rested his forehead on hers, their noses touching, his dark eyes penetrating her violet ones. Just holding Dany close was what he needed. His Peace. His Love.

"You're my strength Dany. Only you and no one else. I can't do this without you. I need you to be well. I need you to be strong and I need you with me. Always. The both of us together." He sounded so sure, so passionate.

Jon was aware how vulnerable the words sounded. The guards were there, keeping still and they could hear everything that was spoken. But he didn't care. He just wanted his wife back. He needed Dany to know how much she meant to him._ Everything.._. She was everything.

"Oh Jon...I love you." Dany cried hearing it and he kissed her lips tenderly.

"I love you too. I love you so much..." Jon said as he embraced her again.

"Even with my madness?" Dany asked him when she pulled her lips away, ever so slightly

"I don't care about that..." Jon said and held her close to him. "We'll be mad together my Love, so long as you're with me."

* * *

Love is a powerful thing. _It can move mountains_. At least Tyrion heard that spoken somewhere once before. _Ah Love... _How inspirational. How great an emotion that it can cure even the madness of a Queen. Tyrion smiled to himself, seeing the Queen finally present in court sitting on the Iron Throne next to her husband. She looked radiant, beautiful, glowing even. It was the first time in months the Queen had come and everyone was present, happy to see their beloved Queen Daenerys again.

She looked well and healthy. The entire palace was abuzz when the Queen had finally graced the court with her presence. Everyone seemed excited to see her. Talisa Stark was brought forward and she curtsied in front of the Queen. The Queen beckoned her to come and Talisa did. She bowed and bent to kiss the Queen's ring and everyone in court watched as Talisa was welcomed so warmly by the Queen who proclaimed that she would henceforth be known the Queen's sister and be given the proper respect and authority.

"Quite the display isn't it?"

Tyrion heard the familiar voice and looked up seeing his brother Jaime beside him. Tyrion was standing on a tall platform and for a while, he and Jaime were almost the same height.

"I think it's nice to see some genuine family warmth in Red Keep..." Tyrion commented and sighed. "The gods know we need this after everything that has happened..."

"Please..." Jaime said rolling his eyes. "This is all for show. The Queen is keeping her eyes on the Stark widow."

"And why would she?" Tyrion asked, frowning a little.

"Don't be dense Brother." Jaime spoke in a rather annoyed tone. "Everyone knows the Lady Talisa is getting too close to the King."

"It's entirely innocent." Tyrion said dismissively. "The King treats her like a sister."

"Still..." Jaime cocked his head to the side and whispered to his brother. "One must always be careful..."

Tyrion only grunted. He wondered where Jaime was going with this utter nonsense. Tyrion was sure his brother was up to no good.

"Yes. I suppose one must." Tyrion said snidely to his brother. Jaime's eyes were fixed on the Queen the entire time and Tyrion didn't like it one bit.

* * *

"She is very beautiful," Dany commented later that evening when both Jon and she had retired to their bedchambers. Jon only looked at his wife and gave a small frown.

It was a long day for both of them. Dany was back in court and she had finally met Talisa and Valyrie. The Queen met up with the Lords and members in parliament and even attended a short meeting with the Small Council.

Dany gave a cheeky smile back. "Oh Come on Jon. You have to admit that she is quite comely."

"I didn't notice..." Jon said and gave a soft grunt.

Dany sighed and stretched her hands. She gestured to her handmaidens and they came to her, pulling her long velvet and silk cloak off. Dany was standing while the handmaidens started to dress her in a long silk night shift.

"She's far too pretty and still too young to remain a widow Jon." Dany spoke while her handmaidens pulled the night gown over her head.

Jon sat on the bed and only shrugged. The handmaidens started to brush Dany's long silver hair while she continued talking. "We must find a husband for her Jon. She's been alone for far too long."

"She likes being alone..." Jon responded. "She wanted to be a Septa even."

"No..." Dany uttered almost in shock. "She's a noble woman, the wife of Robb Stark. She can't be Septa. I won't allow it."

"Dany..." Jon sighed tiredly. "It's her choice and right now Talisa wants to be a devoted mother to her daughter and a governess to the twins..." Jon looked at Dany who was surprised.

"Governess?" Dany croaked. She didn't look like she was warm to the idea of Talisa Stark educating her twins.

"She gave the idea to Arya and I thought there's no harm having Talisa involved in the twins' education. She's from Volantis and everyone knows people from Volantis are more cultured and educated." Jon explained easily.

"The twins are the heirs Jon. Especially Eddy." Dany frowned. "They should be educated by the meisters and Grand Meister, not by a Septa."

"You mean Jaime Lannister?" Jon asked, a scowl on his face. Dany rolled her eyes at that.

"Please don't tell me you're still jealous of him."

"I'm not." Jon frowned. "I just don't trust the man."

Dany smiled as she rose and joined her husband in the bed. Jon signalled to the Queen's handmaidens and they hurriedly left the room.

"The problem with you Darling is that you don't trust anyone." Dany told him.

Jon smiled and wrapped his arms around her pulling her right on top of him as he lied in the bed. "Rightly so..." Jon told her and Dany bent to kiss his lips.

"We could match her with Lord Jaime. He is without a wife..." Dany whispered softly.

"My brother will roll in his grave..." Jon said and shook his head. The thought of Robb's wife married to his enemy. "Robb will never forgive me."

"Or Ser Loras?" Dany suggested.

"He prefers his own sex." Jon reminded her, a small frown on his face. He wished Dany would just stop with her matchmaking schemes. If Talisa had wanted to marry, she would have already done so.

"Well alright..." Dany sighed and snuggled close in Jon's arms. "I suppose if she wants to be a Septa or governess. She could."

"I have to take care of her Dany..." Jon whispered as he ran his fingers through Dany's long silver hair. "Both Talisa and Valyrie. They have no one else...I'm all they've got."

"Don't be silly Jon..." Dany said to him as she yawned sleepily. "They have the Starks of Winterfell and Arya is here too. They have their family."

Jon grew quiet hearing that. He cuddled his wife close and she had fallen asleep soon after. He hummed that old Valyrian lullaby again before he closed his eyes, dreaming of playing in Winterfell with his children. Robb was there and so was his father, Ned Stark.

* * *

Jaime was with the Queen again that afternoon. She had moved back to her former chambers and her condition had greatly improved. The Queen was seen going to the Great Sept of Baelor, receiving communion from the High Septon and having her youngest babe, Lyanna baptised in the Faith. She met her people and was greeted with flowers and cheers. The Queen gave out alms, breads and grains and she fulfilled her customary duties, meeting with dignitaries and the courtiers. But the rule of the Kingdoms fell solely to the King and his grip on power had tightened.

Jaime didn't like what Jon Snow had done. The Houses and their nobles no longer had much power. Power that had been eroded and given to the Septs and the smallfolk. Sessions in parliaments were rather legislative. Enacting various laws and taxes, which made the nobles fall asleep half the time. Other times, parliament would be almost empty. Jaime looked at his brother, the Hand and they exchanged bored looks seeing the empty chairs around them. The King had heard of the empty sessions and put a stop to it with a royal decree stating that parliament is compulsory and the Lords who did not attend will have a hefty fine imposed upon them.

"I really don't see the point of having parliament if it is forced Your Grace," Jaime complained to the Queen. They were playing their usual game of cards.

"It is important that the Lords have a stake in the country's affairs." The Queen replied.

"Besides without parliament, what else can the Lords do to occupy their time? Other than hunting and sitting in their grand castles?" She asked and smiled. She took one card from the deck and Jaime did as well.

"We can't have the noble Houses too idle, they'll get themselves into wars and where will that lead?" The Queen asked him.

Jaime kept quiet and looked at his cards. The Queen had a point. The Lords would have gotten into unnecessary conflicts over trivial affairs. The Crown had to intervene several times when some of these conflicts almost brought about altercations of arms and men. Tyrion had to send the Crown's army to police the country and magistrates as well to preside over several proceedings. A civil war was the last thing anyone needed and the King wanted it avoided and nipped in the bud at all costs.

The Queen rearranged her cards and looked at Jaime closely. "Do you find Lady Talisa pretty Lord Jaime?" She suddenly asked him.

Jaime gave a careless shrug. "She's not bad I suppose..."

"You're not very generous with compliments are you Lord Jaime?" The Queen quipped.

"I do not find her exceedingly beautiful but she is pretty enough." Jaime said after breathing out loud. He wondered why the Queen would ask him that. He had no interest in the Lady Talisa.

"I wanted to find a husband for her..." The Queen said rather nonchalantly. "I even suggested you..."

Jaime was taken aback hearing that and stared at the Queen quite shell shocked. "No..."

"You should see the King's face when I said it..." The Queen smirked. "Almost as if I had suggested the Devil himself."

"Robb Stark will kill me in my sleep." Jaime retorted. He then shivered at the thought of the dead King in the North haunting him. "Or at least his ghost would."

"The King doesn't want her to marry..." The Queen said. "He has grown very protective of her. You were right Lord Jaime. They are far too close."

Jaime looked at the Queen. He didn't want her to be upset.

"I think he might have feelings for her..." The Queen said. She didn't sound too concerned or even worried and that seemed odd to Jaime.

"He treats her like a sister." Jaime said.

"The way you love your sister?" The Queen asked, eyeing him close.

Jaime coughed awkwardly. "Your Grace. The King could not love anyone else when he already loves you. It is just not possible."

The Queen kept quiet and showed her spread of cards on the table. Jaime saw that and gave a small smirk. He deftly hid one of his cards, letting it fall to the floor before he showed her his spread.

"You win again Your Grace," Jaime told her and the Queen only smiled surreptitiously back.

* * *

The wind had blown strongly that night and Dany found herself awake. She stared up at the ceiling and looked beside her. Her husband was still fast asleep, snoring too himself. Dany couldn't help but smiled. She always found Jon's snores to be adorable. She moved and kissed his cheek but soon the howls of the wind made her leave the bed. She walked to the terrace only dressed in a thin white nightgown. Dany gasped when she saw a small bonfire burning and there stood her father, the Mad King Aerys II. He looked at Dany and gave a diabolical smile.

"_Ah...you're awake now aren't you?"_

"What are you doing here?" Dany asked. She frowned at him and stepped back. Dany turned and looked inside. She felt instantly relieved that Jon was still fast asleep.

Seeing the apparition of her dead father shocked her. He was tall, towering above her dressed in a blue cloak. His body lean and long. His silver white hair was long and unkempt and his beard just hung limp. The King's violet eyes flashed brightly. Dany saw the circle under his eyes and of course his infamous long fingernails. The Mad King was terrifying to look at but Dany wasn't afraid, she just didn't want to have to see him again.

"_I live here Child. What do you think?"_ Aerys spoke back. His tone was harsh and bitter. _"This was my chambers...long before it was ever yours."_

"You're dead!" Dany said sharply. "You're not real! You're dead."

"_You can't pretend you know. You have my blood running in your veins. You and that nephew of yours."_ Aerys spat.

"I'm not listening anymore." Dany shook her head. "You are dead."

"_Now listen close Daenerys. The time of reckoning will come soon. You must be prepared."_

"Why must I listen to you?" Dany asked stubbornly. "You're mad!"

"_I may have been mad but I'm still your father."_ Aerys gritted, his face enraged. _"We are the same you and I."_

"I am not like you. I am not mad..." Dany said, almost screaming.

"_Bring the dragons with you..."_ Aerys told her. _"Listen to me Daenerys. You have to be ready. The Targaryens cannot lose the Seven kingdoms again."_

Aerys gripped Dany's arm and his long fingernails cut into her flesh. She winced as blood oozed out.

"No... no..." Dany closed her eyes. She didn't want to see him anymore. She had gotten better. It had taken a long time but she could no longer see and hear things that were not there. Things no on else could see. _Just Go... Please go...Leave me alone!_

* * *

"Dany!"

Dany opened her eyes and Jon was there out in the terrace. He stared at her. The look of abject horror on his face. Dany looked at her hands and saw that she had a small dagger with her and it looked like she had slashed her own arm that was bleeding profusely.

"The gods Dany..." Jon exclaimed, rushing to her. He tore a piece of silk from her night gown and wrapped it around her arm to stop the bleeding.

"What were you thinking?" Jon screamed as he lifted her in his arms. "Why did you cut yourself?"

"It wasn't me Jon..." Dany shook her head. "I swear it wasn't. I didn't do this. I didn't..." She rambled on. "My father... He was here. The Mad King was here..."

Dany was crying when he called the King's guards to bring the royal physician in. Some of the King's guards put the bonfire that had burned in the terrace out. Jon paced about anxiously while the physician went to examine her. The cuts on her arm had been cleaned and bandaged and the physician made Dany drink some medicine.

"The cut is not deep Your Grace..." The physician informed Jon. He moved closer and whispered. "I do not think the Queen intended to kill herself."

"I thought that she had gotten better. That her condition has improved." Jon gave a soft groan. He was worried for his wife, seeing the blood and the bonfire that had been lit. He had naïvely thought that the episodes of madness were long over.

"The Queen needs plenty of rest," The physician advised with a sigh. "And make sure there are no sharp objects around her."

Jon gave a nod and looked at his wife lying on the bed just staring into space. The physician had left and Dany's handmaidens remained in the chambers along with four Queen's guards, ready to stand watch. Jon walked to the bed and stared at Dany.

"I didn't do it..." She said softly. "I swear I didn't. I didn't hurt myself."

He couldn't bear to see her so lost and sounding so broken. Jon immediately got in the bed and hugged Dany close. He only wanted to make feel better.

"You have to believe me Jon..." Dany muttered and turned to face him. She looked deep in his eyes wanting so badly to convince him. It broke his heart seeing that. "I didn't do it..."

"It's alright Dany...It's going to be alright. I'm here..." Jon told her and kissed her forehead. Dany sobbed in his chest and Jon held her, gently rocking her in his arms as if she was a crying child that needed to be comforted.

"I'm not mad Jon... I'm really not..." She cried. "He came to me...my father..." Dany explained and looked at him.

"He told me that I had to prepare. There is a reckoning coming but I don't know what he meant by it...The Targaryens cannot lose the seven kingdoms again. That's what he said..."

Dany suddenly grew limp and her eyes closed as she fell to sleep. Jon sighed in relief. The sedative the physician gave her had worked. Seeing Dany out in the terrace with blood dripping from her arm had shaken him to his very core. He didn't want to admit it but maybe Dany's madness would never leave her. Except it didn't really matter to Jon, so long as she was safe. Jon would love her still. He would never abandon her.


	14. Chapter 14 Blood of the Dragon

_Note: Thank you for reading and for all your reviews, especially those long in depth analysis. I was a bit surprised to see them and I really appreciate that you all took the time to read and to review. Fans of the book and TV series are the best! :) __ I have to admit that I haven't really been paying much attention to all the nitty gritty details of the book series and I apologize for my lackadaisical understanding of ASOIF but you have to admit. The book series is just so very long... Anyway, it took a few episodes of the new season plus listening to the epic soundtrack playing over and over again to finally start the creative juices that had been stagnating flowing again. Hopefully with more vigour this time. Gosh this story has been on hold for quite some time. Thank You again for reading and for following the story. I really appreciate your interest and I understand any misgivings you might have with regards to the storyline. Truth be told, I'm just a wannabe writer who is a big Jon/Dany shipper and maybe I'm a slightly cheesy romantic at heart ergo; the slightly cheesy romance in this story. But I'm really not ashamed to admit it :)_

* * *

Chapter Fourteen._  
_

_King's Landing._

Jon had been spending the afternoon in his and Dany's chambers. Dany was still asleep, resting under the hazy cloud of sedatives that was in her medicine. Just looking at her as she slept peacefully, Jon felt himself at ease even for a while. His mind had been so full lately. He barely had any time to himself. With running the kingdoms and being King, spending time with the children, attending various meetings with his Councils and ministers. It was hard to get any rest and yet just sitting there, watching as his beloved wife slept. Jon felt the peace. He took Dany's hand and clasped it tight before kissing it firmly.

Jon felt Dany moving and he looked down seeing as she fluttered her eyes open. Dany gazed at him and Jon smiled lovingly back.

"Hello..." He greeted her and Dany gave a soft smile.

"You shaved..." She said to him. Her voice surprised, almost in wonder. Jon gave a soft laugh and touched his cheek. It was smooth when there had been a beard.

"I did." Jon nodded. "My beard was starting to scratch the children when I kiss them and Aerysa complained."

"You look so young..." Dany sighed. Jon kept quiet and just held her hand close, letting it touch his smooth beardless cheek and kissed it fervently, almost as if in supplication. He was just so relieved and grateful that she had woken up.

"How are you feeling?" Jon asked her.

"I feel like I've slept too much..." Dany replied and gave a small grin. She yawned and stretched her arms.

Dany patted the empty space on the bed and Jon got in. He pulled her close as he sat there, letting her lean into him. It felt like Heaven to hold her again, to smell the flowers in her hair and feel the softness of her skin.

"I missed you so much..." Jon breathed as he touched her cheek. "So very much."

"I never left." Dany told him, her eyes looking right at him.

Beguiling violet eyes that pierced through him, seeking out his soul. Jon remembered seeing her for the first time, sitting underneath the Iron Throne. He remembered how his heart stopped for a while as he tried to catch his breath. He thought it silly then, being so taken by a woman's beauty. But Jon knew that Dany wasn't any ordinary woman. She was the one he would love forever.

_What is honor compared to a woman's love?_ Aemon Targaryen's words suddenly echoed in Jon's head. It seemed almost poetic to have such words spoken by the same elderly man who was both a blood relative to Dany and him. And how true the words were... What is honor if he couldn't have Dany?

Jon sighed and pulled her even closer, letting her head rest on his chest as he kissed her hair, almost sniffing it in. Dany snuggled closer, enveloping herself in his arms. They just sat there, almost as if cocooned in each other's embrace. It would be hard to extricate them out of such a concrete bond. Like they were melded together, body, heart and soul.

_Maybe this is how Love is supposed to be_, Jon thought to himself. This intense feeling of being one with someone you would give up everything for. He had loved before, but it was never like this. Dany was his other half. It was so clear to him right then. Jon couldn't function well without her by his side. He could try but it was as if he was limping on one leg with one arm amputated and having half a heart. It was pure torture.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm losing you Dany..." Jon told her softly, hugging her tightly to him. "Like you're going somewhere falling into this other world and I can't catch you. I can't go with you. I can't be where you are..."

Jon pulled slightly away and looked at her. "And I'm waiting and waiting for you to come up, back to the surface, back to me."

"I don't want to leave you..." Dany told him, tears brimming in her eyes. "I really don't..."

"It's alright." Jon said and smiled. He hugged her again. "You're back Dany. That's all that matters..."

Dany nodded and just buried her face in his chest. Her arms wound tightly around him and they stayed like that for a long while.

* * *

Talisa Stark came by the Queen's chamber one afternoon and had caused quite a stir. The Royal Physician and some of his nurses were preparing medicine for the Queen when the young Lady Stark interrupted them. The Queen was resting in bed and she had awakened hearing the commotion. Dany was surprised to see Talisa in her bedchambers. It was really unexpected.

"You cannot give Her Grace the medicine. It will not improve her condition," Talisa had argued with the Royal Physician.

"With all due respect Lady Stark, I have forty years of experience behind me. I would know better."

"The milk of the poppy is what gives the Queen her hallucinations," Talisa explained.

"No...no no!" The Royal physician shook his head, protesting heavily. "Her Grace needs the potion. It will help her to rest."

"What is going on?" Dany asked weakly as she looked up.

"Your Grace." Talisa immediately curtseyed to her.

"There is nothing for you to worry Your Grace," The Royal physician explained before frowning at Talisa. "Lady Talisa is just getting the prescriptions wrong."

"Is it true?" Dany asked Talisa, ignoring what the Royal Physician had just said. "What you said about the milk of the poppy?"

She nodded and looked at the Royal physician who was obviously doubtful before speaking to the Queen.

"I've seen its effects your Grace. How men wounded in the battlefield would hallucinate after taking too much for their pain. It is not good for you. I think it would be best if you refrain from taking it," Talisa said.

"It is one of the ingredients for your potion that Master Hirik had given me Your Grace and I have to follow the recipe to the letter." The Royal Physician spoke.

"No." Dany shook her head. "No more of it. I have to wean myself from any potions. I need to be strong on my own." Dany told the Royal Physician. She then looked at Talisa and both women shared a smile.

* * *

"Thank you," Dany told Talisa after the Royal Physician and his nurses had left.

"You do not have to thank me Your Grace," Talisa said with a smile.

"And you do not have to be so formal with me Lady Talisa," Dany said as she tried to sit up on her bed. Talisa rushed to her side and helped her, rearranging the pillows behind the Dany's back.

"You are Queen Your Grace." Talisa said as she patted the duvet down on Dany's lap.

"You were once Queen too," Dany said and looked closely at Talisa. "You were Queen in the North."

Talisa looked at Dany and she saw the sadness in the Stark widow's brown eyes. "I'm sorry..." Dany spoke, a tinge of regret in her tone. "I shouldn't have brought that up."

"No Your Grace, there's nothing you need to apologize for," Talisa said and gave a kind smile. She then sat on the chair that was by Dany's bed.

"I was Queen," Talisa said a smile. "It felt like a lifetime ago..." She sighed.

"There wasn't any grand castle or beautiful clothes or jewellery even. My husband was at war, fighting Lannisters. We were camped outside all the time, braving the cold and rain. But I loved it. I thought it was romantic."

Dany listened on as Talisa continued with her story.

"I didn't mean that the war was romantic Your Grace. It was terrible," Talisa spoke and her voice faltered for a while. Dany could hear the emotions in there and even the heartache.

"But just being with him was romantic. It made me happy. Like no one could ever harm us. I never cared for any prestige being a queen. I love Robb dearly and he loved me... and he paid a heavy price for it..." Talisa later dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief that Dany handed to her.

Dany looked at the Stark widow, sympathizing with her loss. Talisa was still very much in love with her late husband. To lose him in such a horrible way, the pain would never leave her. But seeing how calm and composed Talisa was, it was obvious to Dany that Talisa was a strong woman, to have raised her daughter on her own. Dany was sure if it had been her, she would have been devastated by such a loss. Dany then thought of her first husband Drogo whom she loved dearly. She survived his death and that of their unborn son and grew stronger. Could she do the same if Jon had died? Dany didn't think so. Even though she loved both men, the love she had for them was different. She loved Jon more and much deeply. Losing him was something unimaginable to her.

"How did you meet your husband?" Dany asked Talisa, after coming out from her deep thoughts.

"I was nursing wounded soldiers on the battlefield and he was there." Talisa said, smiling at the memory.

"Was he wounded?" Dany asked.

"No." Talisa shook her head. "But his men were. Many of them and Robb came to help..."

"He sounds like a noble man. A king who tends to the wounded." Dany said, smiling at Talisa who nodded.

"He was," Talisa said. "He was very noble, brave and kind. Proud and stubborn too." Talisa then gave a soft laugh. "Very stubborn in fact."

"He sounds very much like my Jon," Dany spoke and smiled, thinking of her Beloved.

"Well they were brothers Your Grace," Talisa said. "I should think that they were very much alike."

"That's good to know." Dany said with a soft sigh. "Jon never talks much about his family or about his life in Winterfell...His past is a mystery to me and he knows everything there is to know about me."

"His Grace doesn't like to talk about the past much," Talisa interjected. "Maybe because it's too painful for him..."

"Why would it be?" Dany asked Talisa, a little taken aback by what the woman had said.

Talisa looked at Dany and let out a heavy breath of air. "Because his life in Winterfell wasn't quite as easy. He was a bastard and many people didn't treat him as well as they did the other Stark children."

"You mean he was treated badly by Lady Stark?" Dany asked and looked at Talisa. Talisa only kept quiet and looked away.

Dany didn't know why but she suddenly felt angry. Angry that Jon was ever treated badly by anyone. Angry at the years that had passed where things were never easy for either of them. The struggles and hardships they each had to go through and the challenges that still loomed ahead for both of them despite all their past sufferings. _So much for a happily ever after_, Dany thought to herself. Life was just a series of harsh trials and challenges and no Iron Throne or being Queen of Seven Kingdoms would change that or make it any easier.

"It's all in the past Your Grace. What matters now is for you to get well." Talisa told Dany. "His Grace, the King needs you. He needs you by his side..."

"He told you that?" Dany asked and Talisa nodded. "You are the most important thing in the world to him." Talisa said.

"Why didn't you marry again?" Dany asked Talisa, a question that stunned the gentlewoman for a while

"I don't know. I don't think I could ever love like that again. What I had with Robb was special just as what you have with the King." Talisa smiled gently.

"A love like that only comes once in a lifetime. Nothing can ever surpass it." Talisa said. Dany kept quiet, knowing full well how true those words were.

* * *

When Jon came to see his wife late in the afternoon, he looked very worried. He had heard of what the Royal Physician had reported; that Dany had refused any potions or medication and Jon was afraid. Afraid that Dany's condition might worsen. Jon was surprised to see Talisa sitting with Dany in the Queen's chambers and both women seemed deep in conversations. Talisa saw him and rose. She greeted him and curtseyed before making her leave. The royal couple needed their privacy and the Lady Stark didn't want to intrude any further. Jon looked at his wife who was still resting in bed.

"You look so shocked My Love." Dany commented seeing his stunned face. He wasn't as clean shaven and seeing the five o'clock shadow on him, Dany smiled. She had preferred him with a beard.

"I didn't expect you to look so well..." Jon said and rushed to her. He sat by her side on the bed, and pulled her in his arms, hugging her close to him. He let out a relieved shudder, seeing that she was alright and grateful that his wife wasn't alone in her chambers.

"I was so worried Dany, The physician said you refused any medicine. I didn't know what to think. I left a meeting with the Small Council when he sent the note.." Jon murmured as he kissed her neck and smelled her hair.

"I'm fine Jon..." Dany whispered. Jon pulled away from the embrace and looked at his wife. "The potion was hindering my recovery." Dany said.

"How could it be?" Jon asked her alarmed by what she had said. "We trusted Master Hirik."

"Master Hirik is a good man and good warlock. I trust him still. The potion contains milk of the poppy which has drugging effects and that made my hallucinations worse..." Dany explained.

Jon looked at Dany doubtfully. He wasn't sure if the warlock had good intentions if the potion that he had concocted had such terrible side effects.

"It is no one's fault Jon..." Dany sighed. "Lady Talisa explained that milk of the poppy numbs the pain but it also drugs the mind and sometimes too much of it overwhelms the patient. That is all."

"So does this means that you will get better now?" Jon asked her. His eyes still looked anxious and worrisome. Dany couldn't help but feel guilty for making him worry for her well being.

She gently caressed the side of his face and moved to kiss his lips. She revelled being in his arms for while and feeling his lips on hers. Dany pulled away and looked deep into his eyes.

"I'm going to be fine Jon," She said and smiled reassuringly at him. "I don't want you to worry about me anymore. I'm alright and I am getting better."

"I will always worry about you," Jon said gruffly and touched her cheek lovingly. "Even in my sleep I worry."

"What a fine pair we make. You and I," Dany said, shaking her head. She leaned against Jon and he wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on top of her silver head as she rested her head on his chest, listening to the soft beating of his heart. The heart that belonged to her and was hers alone. It never failed to calm her down.

"The both of us, lost and lonely Targaryen orphans. Surrounded by people we barely trust, betrayed by friends and abandoned by our family...All these years, I wonder how we ever survive without each other." Dany whispered. She kissed his chest, right above his beating heart.

"We found each other Dany..." Jon spoke, kissing her hair again. "That's what matters."

"I won't abandon you Jon," Dany said, her eyes looking straight at him. Violet eyes that were Full of promises, love, devotion and commitment. "I never will. Even if I die, I'll find a way to come back to you. I promise you."

"Don't say that my Love..." Jon's voice broke for a while before he continued. The tears that threatened to fall if he had let them except he couldn't. He had to be strong for both their sakes. "I don't ever want to think about you dying and leaving me."

Dany looked at him and nodded. Jon moved to kiss her lips. They lied in each other's arms that night telling stories of their past. Dany listened attentively while Jon told her about the long months spent in the Wildling camp and his first brush with the White Walkers. Dany told him about the _Unsullied_ warriors that she had under her command and her conquests of the East. The great cities of _Yunkai_, _Astapor_ and_ Meereen_.

* * *

"I first heard of you from fellow Nights Watchmen," Jon spoke and looked at his beautiful wife, recalling the first time he had ever heard of the Stormborn princess. It was like a fairytale to Jon and she, a mythical figure. The story of the brave, beautiful Queen and her dragons.

"It was so cold at night and we would share stories by the fire while drinking ale. Sam Tarly was telling everyone about the beautiful young queen and her dragons conquering cities in the East and freeing slaves...Tyrion Lannister even had a nickname for you. _Aegon the Conqueror with teats_..."

Hearing that Dany laughed heartily and so did Jon. "Strange that I find it very complimentary..." She said and snuggled closer to him. "One of the better nicknames people had coined for me..."

"Then news spread that you had landed on the shores with your dragons and large battle ships crossing the Narrow Sea with armies from the East..." Jon recounted of the years that passed.

"Everything just seemed to stop. The wars and fighting. We had ravens flying in by the hour with notes from everywhere in the seven kingdoms, it was hard to keep up. _The Targaryen Queen has returned_. With her dragons they said...It was like a miracle..." Jon said, he could not hide the wonder and excitement in his voice.

Jon remembered the loud clanging noise of gongs being hit and torches that were lit, marking the end of the wars and the ascendency of a new monarch. It was the time for Peace. There was a sense of relief and celebration. The wars were finally over. The Lannisters were essentially defeated and forced back to the Westerlands and even Stannis Baratheon and his weary forces retreated. It was a time of transition and uncertainty but yet there was hope. Hope for a better future.

"I didn't know what to expect when I finally landed on Westeros." Dany told him. "I remembered that it was chilly and so very cold. I sent emissaries to all the paramount Houses, telling them that I had returned for what was rightfully mine and that I would pardon those involved in the Usurper's rebellion if they accepted me as Queen. I would take the Iron Throne with fire and blood if I have to. And I would set the dragons upon them if they resisted." Dany looked at Jon and smiled blithely.

"They didn't of course. Everyone was tired of the long wars and finally relented. Funny really..." Dany shook her head. "I was expecting a fight but most of the warriors involved in the Rebellion had been dead. Lord Tyrion was the first to meet me. I knew right away he would be my Hand."

"He has always been so clever..." Jon said. He then looked at his wife, suddenly feeling guilty for casting his Hand aside. "I should listen to him more."

"You should..." Dany nodded in agreement. "Lord Tyrion only wants what's best for you. For us and for the kingdom."

"I guess I'm too proud." Jon admitted. He thought of Tyrion Lannister and how pushy the little man had been. Tyrion wouldn't give up and he had always been brutally honest. Jon used to find it grating and annoying at first, but he learned to appreciate Tyrion's contributions.

Jon smiled and kissed Dany's lips again. "I can't do this on my own Dany..." Jon whispered as his eyes darkened seriously.

"Do what?" Dany asked him softly.

"Being King." Jon said. He sighed tiredly and looked up at the ceiling. "Half the time I'm questioning myself. What if the decisions I made prove to be wrong?"

"You are a wonderful king Jon," Dany spoke reverently. "Look at the changes you've made. The people love you and the Lords fear and respect you."

"The Iron Throne is rightfully yours Dany. You deserved it. You fought for it. I feel like a Pretender just sitting there..." Jon said, finally revealing the insecurities that had been bugging him for quite some time.

"You're not a Pretender Jon," Dany spoke firmly and held his jaw as she looked deep into his dark eyes. "You are the true heir and son of Rhaegar. The Iron Throne is yours. You know deep in your heart it is."

Jon kept quiet and thought to himself. He looked at Dany and revealed what he had been thinking, "I only want to do my duty to protect the innocent. It's never been about power for me. I don't give two shits about it. Just to protect the people. That has been ingrained in me since I took the Watchmen's oath...which I broke by the way. Wearing a crown, marrying you and having children."

"I'm sure they'll make special allowances for you and look the other way..." Dany smiled and cheekily said. Jon shook his head hearing that

Dany then looked at him closely. "Don't ever doubt your power Jon. Just listen to your heart. It's never wrong."

"My heart tells me that I can't be King without you..." Jon told her, clutching her hand tightly and bringing it to his beating heart.

"I know..." Dany said softly. "I'm here aren't I? I will never abandon you."

"And I you." Jon said and kissed her lips deeply again.

* * *

Lady Talisa's words were proven right and the Queen's condition had vastly improved when she stopped taking the potion containing milk of the poppy. Master Hirik had tried to concoct another potion but it was rather tricky especially when one of the main ingredients needed to be substituted. The Queen forgave the warlock and his limitations which relieved Master Hirik to no end. The poor warlock thought that he might lose his head for the error.

The King brought the Queen out where they rode horses in the late afternoon and spent a lot of leisure time outdoors. The King was determined that some time in the sun would make the Queen happier and more relaxed. He took time off from meetings with the Small Council and Parliament to spend time with his wife and family. Tyrion was pleased watching as the royal couple interact like any young ones in love. They were laughing and smiling, playing with their three children in the gardens of Red Keep, having a family picnic under the sun. Jaime however wasn't as pleased. His eyes watching and never leaving the Queen.

"She's getting better and healthier," Tyrion remarked to his brother, while they were standing on the covered bridge linking the separate wings in Red Keep that overlooked the palace gardens. Jaime only gave a shrug and that made Tyrion rolled his eyes.

"You should be happy Brother. Our Queen is well and she can finally rule next to the King." Tyrion spoke.

"Can she really?" Jaime asked Tyrion, not bothering to hide the doubt in his voice. "It is obvious the King holds the reins of power. It is not the real Targaryen Queen who rules us but the boy, once known as Ned Stark's bastard son."

"This again?" Tyrion sighed, exasperated and exhausted by Jaime's constant rants. He just wouldn't let it go. But then again, Jaime was ignorant of Jon Snow's true identity so Tyrion couldn't really fault him for it.

"Don't you find it odd Brother? Letting a Northern Bastard ruling us?" Jaime asked Tyrion, his arms folded. Jaime's green eyes narrowed suspiciously at his brother. "It doesn't bother you at all?"

Tyrion shook his head."We've had worse than bastards on the Iron Throne. If you ask me, this is a vast improvement." Tyrion commented.

"Or would you rather have someone like Joffrey?" Tyrion asked snidely.

Jaime kept quiet hearing it which made Tyrion grin smugly inside. Nothing like reminding the _Kingslayer_ of his tyrannical, bastard son to shut up all future arguments.

"Lord Tyrion..."

Both men turned when one of the palace footmen came rushing in. The boy looked like he was gasping for breath

"What is it?" Tyrion asked.

"Urgent note from Lord Varys Sir," The young man spoke and handed over the rolled script. Tyrion broke the seal and read it hurriedly. Jaime looked at his brother seeing the horror on Tyrion's face.

"What has happened?" Jaime inquired.

"Ramsay Bolton has laid siege on Winterfell. He has an army with him. Thirty thousand men surrounding the castle..."

"Where does he even get them?" Jaime asked surprised that the Bolton bastard even had an army.

"I don't know..." Tyrion groaned. "Sellswords maybe. The gods! Another war?" Tyrion started to pace about anxiously. "That stupid stupid man! I hope the Queen's dragons roast him alive for this."

"We have to tell the King and Queen immediately..." Jaime said and Tyrion nodded.

* * *

Jon rushed into the War Room with Dany beside him. He saw his sisters, Arya and Sansa seated. Gendry Waters was in the room as well, carrying his infant son. The Stark women were in tears. News that Winterfell was under attack again was something unimaginable. The Starks had their own forces there and Jon had sent about five thousand of the Crown's army up North for protection. Arya went and hugged him crying in his arms as Jon held her close, his eyes looking at Dany. Both of them exchanging silent words, wondering if this was the dreaded _Reckoning_ Dany had dreamt about.

"Mother says the castle is surrounded. There is no way of escaping and they can not get help from outside because the Bolton Bastard burned the bridge on the main road. No supplies can come in." Sansa spoke and showed Jon the note Lady Stark had sent by raven.

"We can't march with an army. It will be too late..." Jon said solemnly after reading the note. "There is no time for it."

"We have the dragons Jon..." Dany spoke. Jon looked at her and she took his hand, squeezing it tight before speaking. "We'll ride the dragons there and demand them to surrender or risk being burned alive."

"Can they really defeat such a large army?" Arya asked the Queen and she nodded.

"We leave now." Jon said forcefully. "We gather what armies we have and repair the bridge. The Queen and I will free the dragons and ride them to Winterfell first."

"I'm coming with you!" Arya cried. Jon and Dany looked at Arya before looking at each other.

"Arya..." Gendry spoke out. "It is too dangerous."

"I don't care! Winterfell is my home Gen! And I'll be damned before I let it burn to the ground again!" Arya spoke angrily, her tears still raged on and she brushed it aside.

Gendry looked unsure but Arya went to him and kissed him before kissing her son, little Robb's fine, downy hair.

"Mama will be back soon my Darling," Arya spoke softly to the baby and cooed at him. "And I'll bring you Ramsay Bolton's head as a present."

* * *

Arya watched as the three dragons landed on the fields outside Red Keep. Jon had them freed from the dragonpits. She was smiling like a little girl seeing the majestic creatures. How beautiful and gargantuan they were. Jon walked to her, dressed in his armour. Arya grinned at her brother. It was the first time seeing Jon dressed for battle and what a sight it was. His breast plate had the Targaryen three headed dragon sigil on it. Stark direwolf heads were engraved on his shoulder plates and _besagues_. His large sword,_ Longclaw_ sheathed by his side.

"You look like a knight Your Grace," Arya said and curtseyed. "A very handsome knight in shining armour." Arya teased her brother.

"It's heavy and quite unnecessary..." Jon complained and shook his head. He was uncomfortable underneath all the polished metal. He'd rather be dressed in his black leather Night's watchman uniform.

Jon turned back and looked at his wife walking towards him, dressed in a blue silk dress, a polished bronze breast plate with the Royal sigil, over the chainmail and leather breeches. Dany smiled at Jon and he smiled back. He turned around and looked at Talisa Stark who was with his twins and one of the nursemaids was carrying the baby Lyanna. Dany and Jon had showered kisses on their three children. He hated to leave his babes but he knew he had to go. He had a responsibility being King. Jon had to protect his family castle and the Starks of Winterfell.

Jon looked at the helmet that he had carried with him. It was a helmet fit for a king with a gold crown on top. He saw the dragons engraved in the gold and knew that it was his destiny. There wasn't any time for doubts or hesitations. There were no questions lingering in Jon's mind anymore. He had to do what he was meant to do and be who he was meant to be. As King, he had to protect the innocents and defend his kingdoms. Jon wore the helmet over his head while Dany and Arya put on theirs. Dany whistled and her three dragons moved, their long necks turned as they looked at her.

"So which one will I be riding?" Arya asked looking at the three large dragons, a little intimidated if not awed by them.

Drogon, the black dragon, with red horns and red spinal plates, was also the largest and one with a notorious reputation for being the most ferocious and hardest to control, stood fierce and proud. Smoke was coming from his snout and Drogon's red eyes flashed frighteningly. Like _Balerion, the Black Dread_, Drogon incited fear in many. Armies of men had trembled in their boots hearing his mighty roars, his wings clapped like thunder and when he bleeds, his blood runs black like molten coal only to heal quickly. Then there was Rhaegal, with his green and bronze scales, tamer than Drogon but still as deadly, sitting quietly, unaffected by the people staring at him and his brothers. Rhaegal wasn't one to show off his scales and wings like his brother Drogon but one should never underestimate him. Lastly Viserion, a beautiful, regal dragon with cream, white scales and golden horns on his head. He was thought to be the one closest to his _Mother_.

"Take Viserion. He is the tamest among my _children_..." Dany smiled and brought Arya to the white dragon.

"I suppose you'll ride the fiercest one Your Grace?" Arya asked Dany as she climbed on Viserion's scruff where a saddle had been fixed. Bigger than a horse's but comfortable none the less.

"No. The King will ride Drogon..." Dany said, watching as Jon climbed on the mighty black dragon. "He is wild and his fire burns most fiercely but he will yield to the King."

Dany gave the leather reins to Arya and whispered in Viserion's ears.

"What are you telling him?" Arya asked Dany curiously. "I'm telling him to take care of you and that you're my sister which makes you family to him." Dany replied.

"Now don't be afraid..." Dany said gently to Arya. "It's like riding a horse."

"Except it flies and spits fire..." Arya continued. She let out a loud breath and held the reins. Viserion's head turned and he curled his tongue out.

"He likes you..." Dany commented with a soft laugh.

"Well we're off to a good start then," Arya said nervously.

It all seemed so surreal to Arya that she was on a dragon, a real life dragon. Like a childhood fantasy that finally came true. She looked up and saw Gendry standing there carrying their son. He looked so worried for her and for a while, Arya felt bad for leaving her family behind but she brushed the feelings of guilt aside, telling herself that what she was doing was for the greater good. Next to Gendry was her sister Sansa standing with members the Small Council. She would be acting Regent and Hand while the three of them left. Arya waved at her family and they waved back

"Remember Arya. If you want him to spew out fire, say the word _Dracarys_..." Dany whispered. Arya nodded. She knew what the words meant. It was High Valyrian for dragonfire.

"I'll remember that alright." Arya said, her blue gray eyes flashing fiercely. "I'll burn the Bolton Bastard and all his forces."

Dany smiled and headed to Rhaegal, climbing on top of him and settling herself on the saddle at Rhaegal's scruff. She looked at Jon and signalled him. Dany then watched as Jon whistled and was pleasantly surprised seeing his loyal direwolf Ghost running towards him. Ghost leapt on top of Drogon and sat himself by Jon's side on the large saddle. Arya shook her head and laughed seeing that. Trust old Ghost to never leave his Master's side.

"The Crown's army is marching North as we speak Your Grace, along with the Lannister bannermen led by my brother, Jaime," Tyrion said to Jon who nodded.

Tyrion was trembling a little, his heart flapping furiously as if there was a cage of ravens stuck inside. He never stood so close to a dragon before and the experience was daunting to say the least. Drogon grunted and yawned and Tyrion almost fell back seeing the sharp as swords, razor teeth of the black dragon. The Hand steadied himself and continued delivering his report to the King.

"Once the bridge is repaired Your Grace, the armies will join you in the fields outside Winterfell. House Tyrell too has sent their bannermen as reinforcements and so will the Arryns and Tullys."

"Let them know that they will be well rewarded for their loyal services," Jon said. He looked at Tyrion and saw the apprehensive look on his Hand's face. "What is it?"

"I still don't think it is wise for both you and the Queen to ride into battle together. One of you should stay behind." Tyrion spoke, his eyes watching the dragon's mouth.

"If it's true what they said, about Targaryens having dragon's blood in them then there's nothing to worry about Lord Tyrion," Jon said and looked at his wife, seated on Rhaegal. "The Queen and I will be fine."

"But should anything happen..." Tyrion stammered. Tyrion couldn't hide the anxiety that had been prickling at him all morning and standing so close to the feared _Black Dread_ of a dragon wasn't making things any easier.

If anything should happen to the royal couple, there would be upheaval in the land and the chaos that will follow as the grab for power and the Iron Throne might prove too tempting to many, especially among its past claimants. The thought of another civil war fracturing the seven kingdoms into disarray was something Tyrion didn't think he could ever stomach. They all had paid too heavy a price to have another blood bath repeated. But that is the nature of Man, never learning from the past and doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again.

"Should anything happen to the Queen and me, my sister Sansa Stark will be acting Regent until the Crown Prince Eddy is of age. And I trust that you will serve them both well." Jon said firmly and took his reins nudging Drogon forward while he held Ghost close. "I will see you soon Lord Tyrion."

"I look forward to it Your Grace." Tyrion said and bowed to the King before leaving. The dragons moved, their talons scratching the ground and they flapped their large wings causing the ground around them to shake like a small tremor or earthquake as the people gasped half in fear, the other half in awe.

Tyrion turned around and walked to where the rest of the Small Council was. There was already a crowd forming in the fields. The citizens of King's Landing were assembling by the hundreds. All were watching awestruck as their King, Queen and the Hand flew up into the skies with the magnificent creatures, flapping their wings and roaring thunderously as they ascended and lifted off the ground.

* * *

"Just like Aegon taking to the skies with his sister-wives and their dragons three centuries ago... The Blood of the Dragon rises once more," Varys spoke poetically as he stared at the dragons flying in the sky carrying the King, Queen and Arya Stark with them.

"I never thought this day would come." Lord Varys said.

"What?" Tyrion asked his colleague, his eyes still fixed on the sky. "Dragons flying in the sky?" Tyrion sighed. "Well you're not the only one Lord Varys. No one could have seen this day coming."

"No Lord Tyrion..." Varys said pensively. "That is not what I meant."

"Then what is it?" Tyrions asked impatiently. He was getting irritated with Varys, his cryptic words and constant double speak.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where we would all have a King that we truly deserve. One we had waited for a long time." Varys spoke. His tone sounded a bit dreamy and he sighed dramatically again. "The King truly is his father's son."

"Why yes! Ned Stark would have been very proud of him," Tyrion spoke in agreement, thinking of his predecessor, the late Lord of Winterfell.

"I meant his real father Lord Tyrion, the late Prince Rhaegar," Lord Varys said quietly before turning away and left, leaving Tyrion stumped for words.


	15. Chapter 15 Valar Prolieuris

_Disclaimer: Couldn't find the High Valyrian word for battle so I had to use the Latin word for battle instead, 'Prolieum' and attempt to make it sound more Valyrian. Also I can't help but make Catelyn Stark kinder. I know in the books she hated Jon but I was hoping that the circumstances after the war would have changed her and seeing the conversation she had with Talisa in the last episode, I think Catelyn could feel for Jon. So a bit of the backstory to explain the change in Catelyn's and Jon's relationship that many found odd in the beginning of the story._

* * *

_**Valar Prolieuris ~ **__**All men must fight**_

Chapter Fifteen

_The North._

Tragedy seemed to befall the Starks in scores if one were to be blunt almost as if the entire family and House was cursed. The kidnapping of Lyanna followed by Brandon and Lord Rickard Stark's execution by the Mad King which had sparked the Usurper's Rebellion. Young Bran falling from the tower and the loss of using both his legs. Then it was the Lord of Winterfell, Eddard Stark who lost his head in Red Keep and was branded a Traitor. And who could forget the horrific events of the Red Wedding where the _Young Wolf_ was brutally slain and his mother barely making out of it alive. Seven Tragedies, Seven Starks, going through Seven Hells and back. People in The North often said of Starks who had journeyed South as a portent of doom. Nothing good would come of it.

"_The_ _Starks of Winterfell are of the North and, like the snows of winter, when they come south... they melt away."_

So when Jon Snow the unlikely Stark who wasn't quite a Stark was crowned King, many in the North heaved a sigh of relief and said a prayer to the Old Gods, the faces that were carved in the weirwood trees that maybe, just maybe, the Wolf will rise again. And rose he did, being King and therefore, the most powerful man in all the lands, with a Targaryen as Queen. Northerners were a hardy stock. They didn't have time for courtly life of gallantry and tourneys or tolerated the fancy culture of the South. The people of the North were too busy preparing for the onset of cold and harsh winter days. But seeing one of their own sitting on the Iron Throne filled many Northerners with pride and gave them bragging rights.

The North may have lost the Rebellion against the Lannisters but they won the ultimate prize, for Jon Snow of the House Stark ruled the Realm and the Seven Kingdoms. They drank to the King and sang praises of him. Many were pleased that the King had not forgotten where he came from that they even forgave him for converting into the Faith of the Seven. The Crown had built many construction projects in the North. Wells for the villages, schools for the peasants and providing hardy Highland cattle as livestock to many farmers who lived in the isolated rural areas. The Northern Houses were also not taxed by the Crown unlike the other Houses down South which was one of the reasons Stannis Baratheon and his factions revolted in Parliament.

When news that Winterfell was under siege again spread, the Houses of the North that had once marched loyally and faithfully with the fallen _King in the North_ just years before, came raising their respective banners as well as those of the Starks. They say the _North Remembers_ but more accurately, _The North Never Forgets_. Robb Stark may be dead but his men served him still and the remaining Starks of Winterfell. The Stark bannermen marched down the road leading to Winterfell despite knowing that they might be outnumbered. They owed it to the Starks.

The bridge crossing one of the main tributaries of the White Knife on the King's Road had been burned and about six thousand bannermen loyal to the Starks were assembled there, a few miles outside of Cerwyn. The water was too deep to be crossed but they had started dragging logs of fallen trees from the forest to construct a makeshift bridge.

It was a sunny day that had suddenly darkened. The men looked up, horrified, seeing a terrifying, nightmarish sight in the sky. A large black dragon with eyes red as blood flying right above them. The dragon's wings spread wide, creating an ominous dark cloud shadowing everything. They cowered and ran thinking that the dragon might start spitting out fire and attack.

"Dragon!" One of them screamed. "Dragon in the sky!"

The rest looked up and to their horror, there were two more dragons flying behind the black one. One green dragon and the other, a white one. The dragons roared fiercely, a sharp shrieking sound that made the men covered their ears.

"Ey up! Run lads run! Dragons are coming!"

"Settle yerself!" Ser Rodrik scolded the soldiers. "It's the King yer fools!"

Some stopped running and looked up, squinting their eyes. Seated on the black dragon was the King, wearing his shiny armour and his helmet with its golden crown. They saw the Stark direwolf head on his shoulder plates and immediately knelt on one knee on the ground as a gesture of respect, submission and obeisance. The King waved at his subjects and flew on by. Ser Rodrik looked closely and realized that Arya Stark was riding the white dragon and the Targaryen Queen on the green one. He blinked his eyes at the incredulous sight and the dragons flown away, passing great distances in mere seconds.

"Well that was a strange sight if I had to say it so meself," Ser Rodrik remarked to Greatjon Umber. Greatjon gave a loud gravelly laugh and shook his head.

"He's gonna burn them alive I tell yer...Gonna burn them all to ashes." Greatjon said in his gruff, thick Northern to and gave a smack on Ser Rodrik's back.

"Ah..." Ser Rodrik said. "That would have been such a sight for all to see. The traitorous Bolton Bastard burned to the ground."

"Oy! Come on! Hurry up lads!" Greatjon Umber screamed at his men who were pulling the logs to create the make shift bridge. "We have some fightin to do!"

* * *

_Winterfell._

When the fog cleared in the morning, Catelyn Stark peered out from one the slits in the turrets of the castle. She saw them, the sea of soldiers standing, thousands upon thousands of men at arms ready to attack the castle. There were so many of them and Catelyn knew they were outnumbered and outmatched. The five thousand men, Crown's Army that Jon had sent up North was too small a force. She was up all night, praying as she weaved a dreamcatcher basket for protection. Praying that her sons, Rickon and Bran would be safe and for the lives of all the people living within the castle walls. The last time she had weaved one was during Robb's campaign when Winterfell had been sacked by Theon Greyjoy and she prayed for the safety of Bran and Rickon. The gods of the Seven were kind and granted her request only to take the life of another son in the months that followed.

For a long time after Robb's brutal murder, Catelyn had been angry at the gods. She almost lost her faith. She stopped going to the Septs and stopped praying when she had been very devout and religious before. Catelyn often wondered if the tragedies that had befallen the Starks were the gods' punishment for her callous cold hearted treatment of her husband's bastard son. She was a loving mother and devoted wife but her jealousy and bitterness that her husband might have loved another ate away at her.

Catelyn remembered after the wars ended, she was still recovering from the attack at the Red Wedding. She had been badly wounded from the slash at her throat and was left to die in a river stream. One of the Tully's bannermen found her and managed to bring her to a country estate in the Riverlands where she lived there for a few years. Weeks after the Targaryen Queen had came to Westeros and took back the Iron Throne, Catelyn was surprised when a visitor came to the country manor in the Riverlands to take her back to Winterfell. It was her husband's bastard, Jon Snow. Maybe she was too weak to be overcome with hatred for the young man. She greeted him in her usual cold, distant way and allowed Jon Snow along with a few Stark bannermen to bring her home.

It was in Winterfell that Catelyn was reunited with her remaining four children whom she hadn't seen in years and she was grateful to Jon although she never showed it. Her daughter Arya was the one who told Catelyn that Jon had to take leave as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch to bring his brothers and sisters home. It was Jon who had reunited the family. He went to the noble houses loyal to the Starks and asked for assistance to rebuild Winterfell.

Jon had even gone so far as to write to the Queen's Hand, Tyrion Lannister and Tyrion who had always sympathized with the downtrodden offered financial assistance as well as the protection needed, so that enemies of the Starks in the North would leave them in peace. No one knew that Tyrion had to bribe the Boltons of Dreadfort with gold for them to leave the Starks alone as they rebuild their family castle and tried to find ways to move on after the wars and the tragedies that had befallen them. Catelyn never forgot the note she had gotten from Tyrion Lannister sent by raven.

"_Lady Stark_ _I hope you appreciate the trouble your husband's Bastard has done and show him some charity and kindness. As he had once been a travelling companion of mine, the help I render is for all the troubles that he has done for me. Let it never be said that the Lannisters do not pay their debts."_

Jon was the one who had gotten Robb's remains and made arrangements for the funeral. Catelyn then realized the error of her ways, and slowly the bitterness in her stone cold heart started to melt away, though not completely as she had always wanted vengeance for those involved in the Red Wedding massacre. But she was beginning to feel more for her husband's bastard. She never showed Jon any warmth or spoke to him kindly though. On the surface she was still as cold and severe to him.

But there were things she did that no one but the servants knew. Catelyn had made sure that Jon had gotten a new horse, a strong, hardy stallion when his horse was old and would better suit to retire in the stables of Winterfell. She was the one who paid for the creature herself. She also took Jon's torn tunics and asked the maids to sew him new ones. Catelyn made sure that whenever Jon travels back to Winterfell, that his room was ready with a warm fire burning and clean bed sheets as well as a sumptuous warm meal and that when he leaves for Castle Black, bags of supplies and food would be prepared and packed for him. Jon had thought it was Arya all along, who had prepared the supplies and Catelyn never sought to tell anyone about it.

Catelyn watched as her children interacted with Jon. Jon showed Rickon how to shoot an arrow and they practised swords fight with wooden swords and Bran always wanted Jon to sit in during meetings that concerned Winterfell and the North. Even Sansa who had always maintained a distance with her illegitimate brother warmed up to him. They talked and even laughed at jokes. Then of course there was Arya who had gotten even closer to Jon and grew increasingly distant with her mother. She even chastised Catelyn for her mistreatment of Jon.

"_I don't understand why Jon can't sit with us!" Arya had argued with her mother when they were having supper in the grand hall one evening._

"_Lord Snow is eating supper in his chambers." Catelyn coolly explained. "That will be the end of it."_

"_This is ridiculous Mother! Jon is a Stark! He is one of us! He should eat his supper here with us!" Arya said hotly. Catelyn kept quiet and sipped her stew._

"_You've always hated Jon and he has done nothing wrong to you!" Arya shouted, her blue gray eyes staring angrily at her mother's._

"_That is enough Arya!"Catelyn said sharply and frowned at the teenager._

_Arya had grown to be hot headed and headstrong. A wilful young woman with fiery temper and Catelyn couldn't control her. Arya never listened to her mother or anyone for that matter, with the exception of Jon. She wore breeches and dressed in tunics and men's clothes. Arya even carried a sword with her. One of the swords that had belonged to her late father. Catelyn was only grateful that Arya decided to let her hair grow long, which she had tied into a bun._

_Arya stared at her mother and took her bowl of stew off the table. "I am not supping here if Jon won't sit with us!" Arya cried and stormed off._

_Catelyn kept quiet and stared at her remaining three children. The silence was deafening with the tension thick in the air. The three remaining Stark children looked at their mother and then at each other. _

"_Why can't Jon sit with us?" Rickon had asked. He still looked a little lost. A boy of ten who grew up without his father and eldest brother. Rickon had looked up to Jon._

"_Rickon..." Sansa called him softly and shook her head._

"_I am the Lord of Winterfell now." Bran suddenly spoke. "And Jon will sit with us from now on, whenever we dine together."_

_Catelyn stared at her second son in shock. Bran who had never spoken out against her before._

"_There will be no argument Mother." Bran said, a coldness in his tone and Catelyn kept quiet. She continued eating her meal and the next evening Jon dined with the family in the Great Hall and Catelyn learned to live with it._

* * *

Catelyn admitted to herself that when the Targaryen Queen wanted Jon to be her mate, she had thought that it was advantageous as it would elevate the Starks. Power was important, something priceless. Power was what brought enemies down. The Starks never had much power in the Seven Kingdoms. And with that position of power, Catelyn could get her vengeance and also prestige for the Starks as well as the Tullys. She had shamelessly used her position as Hand of the Queen to promote her family's wealth. The lands, offices and titles that were given to the Tullys and Starks were more than what the other Houses got. She brought the scrolls to Jon and he signed them and gave his Royal Seal without any argument or question as if seeking her approval and to please her. Catelyn realized that and used it to her advantage.

Learning about Jon's true parentage threw Catelyn off course. All the hatred, envy, jealousy and bitterness that she had for the poor boy was for nothing. That was when she realized the gravity of her mistakes. She had punished the orphaned boy for something that was not his fault. That Jon too had been a victim. An innocent victim who was orphaned when his mother Lyanna Stark died in childbirth and Ned who had loved his sister so dearly had to keep a promise to care for the baby and claimed him as his own or risk having the child murdered by Robert Baratheon.

Catelyn found her Faith again that night. She went to the Great Sept of Baelor the night the midwife had told her the truth to confess her sins. What she did to the innocent child, praying for his death, treating him so callously and failing to keep her promise to be a mother to him. Catelyn then realized she had a second chance. She would serve him faithfully as Hand, and maybe she could somehow make up for all the wrongs in the past and that whatever difficulties in their estranged relationship could be mended.

That wasn't to be, Jon had found out of her involvement in the massacre of the noble Houses and banished her to Winterfell. She was angry at Jon but after a few months her anger waned and Catelyn forgave him for the slight. She had her vengeance, what she had always wanted but sadly, there was no peace that followed. She still felt empty and all the blood that had been spilled did not bring her late son and husband back. Lord Tyrion was right. Vengeance wasn't Justice because now Catelyn was guilty of the murder of innocents. Wiping the entire bloodline of the Freys, the Boltons, the Spicers, including some unlucky people from the House Tyrell who were relatives of Ser Rolph and Lady Sybell Spicer.

Catelyn sighed and stared out seeing the banners of House Bolton and Greyjoy that flew, flapping in the wind. Ramsay Bolton wanted blood, Stark blood for the death of his father Roose as well as the Bolton bannermen who died when the King's Guards raided Dreadfort, killing every single man, woman and child inside. It was time to pay up. Catelyn breathed as she looked at the dreamcatcher basket that she had finished weaving. A symbol each for all Seven gods. She stared at the symbol of the _Stranger, _the deity of death and wondered if He would come with the darkness and take her away that day. Whatever might happen, Catelyn Stark knew she was prepared to die so long as her children's lives were spared.

* * *

_Fields outside Winterfell._

Jon saw the army from a far. Like a vast sea of metal that gleamed in the morning sun. Riding on Drogon, he charged right above the army. It was quite an alarming sight for Jon, who had never really been to battle with legions of armed men before. Sure he had fought with the Night's Watch. But that was more guerrilla warfare, a different thing altogether when compared to facing men on the battlefield. Drogon roared and the armies of men that surrounded Winterfell all looked up. Some shrieked and ran, breaking from their ranks. Jon pulled the leather reins and Drogon landed right in front of Winterfell's door. The army moved back and Jon got down from the black dragon with Ghost following him.

"Ramsay Bolton!" Jon screamed at the top of his voice. He watched as the Bolton bastard rode towards him on a black horse. Ramsay gave a smirk. Ghost barked and growled at the Bolton Bastard.

"Should have known you'll bring your dragons." He said gruffly.

"Stop and march back this instance Ramsay and no man needs to die." Jon said firmly.

"You think I'm afraid of you Yer Grace?" Ramsay said in disgust and spat on the ground. "You look all fine in yer armour Jon Snow but deep inside you're like me. A Bastard still."

"Surrender now or you will be burned!" Jon warned Ramsay again. His voice filled with authority as he stood unafraid. Jon took out his sword and so did Ramsay as he got down from his mount.

"I've been waiting a long time for this day Snow." Ramsay grimaced. He charged forward and Jon shielded the blows with his sword.

The two men started aggressively striking each other with their swords unaware that the other two dragons that had flown in. Jon was starting to gain the upper hand as the blows he had struck on Ramsay Bolton were deflected weakly.

"You know they say your Traitor father begged for his life when that Boy King executed him... Begged and pleaded like a beggar." Ramsay sneered and Jon's eyes flashed angrily as he swung his sword. Metals clanged and clashed.

Ramsay started to laugh. "And your brother...Oh Boy... He was a fighter all right. When my father struck the final blow into his heart. Robb Stark begged him for mercy and cried for his mother like a babe..."

"Aargh!" Jon screamed and hit his sword at Ramsay even harder. Hearing the insults Ramsay Bolton had said of his late father and brother whipped Jon into a furious frenzy. He didn't care. He wanted blood. Enough Stark blood had been spilled. It was time for vengeance.

"You want to know what we did to his body Snow?" Ramsay taunted as he swung his sword.

"We cut his head off and sent it to Tywin Lannister where it sits and rots on a pike in Red Keep... And that wolf of his we cut its head too and sew it on your brother's headless body. Then we dragged that corpse from the Twins all the way to Dreadfort. Letting all of them see. There it is you Fools, your _King in the North_!"

Jon went at it, swinging his sword in fast furious strokes. Ramsay was a formidable opponent and fought back.

"I'm going to kill you! I swear it!" Jon said, fury in his eyes and his voice had gotten harsh and gravelly. "Even if that's the last thing that I'll ever do!"

Ghost jumped at Ramsay and bit his sword's arm almost ripping it. Ramsay screamed and stumbled towards his horse. Jon saw the opportunity and struck his sword on Ramsay's back and wounded him.

Ramsay staggered towards his horse and took something out from his saddle bag. It was a long ornate looking horn. Jon watched as Ramsay blew the horn. The noise that came out of it so sharp and piercing, it deafened Jon as he covered his ears. Jon watched as Drogon roared and started shaking as though in pain, causing tremors on the ground. Jon looked up seeing the other two dragons groaning and their bodies shaking in flight so violently that Dany and Arya were nearly flung out from their saddles.

"Dragon horn that once belonged to Euron Greyjoy..." Ramsay spoke with a laugh, he coughed and blood dripped from his mouth.

"Nifty little thing isn't it? They say you can control dragons with it."

Ramsay blew the horn again and Jon ran towards the Bolton Bastard trying to snatch the horn away from him. Drogon roared and spread his wings as he moved forward. Ramsay's infantry forces moved back, running away in fear of the black dragon. Drogon then blew fire out from his mouth and the flames covered Jon and incinerated Ramsay Bolton as well as his horse.

* * *

"No! Jon! No!" Dany screamed as the flames enveloped her Beloved. Her heart was beating furiously as the fear and panic took over. Jon was covered in flames. Dragonfire to be exact which had burned many alive.

Dany didn't even think twice as she leapt down from Rhaegal and ran towards the ball of fire where her husband was. The archers started shooting arrows from their Longbows aiming them at where Dany and her green dragon were. Deadly arrows would rain on them soon but Dany didn't care, she had to get to Jon. She heard the swish of arrows whizzing in the air and screamed while she ran towards Jon and Drogon.

"_Dracarys! Dracarys_! Burn them Rhaegal! Burn them all!"

Rhaegal managed to shield the blows of the arrows. Flames sprouting from his mouth, incinerating the arrows into cinders mid flight. The green dragon roared as he grew more angry and agitated. A few of the arrows had struck his flesh and Rhaegal flew up, all the might and fury in him as he blew flames of dragon fire over the line of archers.

All stood dead as the dragon's flames burned them into charred flesh. Rhaegal growled and started fanning flames throughout the enemy lines at the perimeter. Archers and men on cavalry started dispersing in a panic, seeing the green dragon firing at them but many couldn't escape the flames and burned as they ran.

Arya was still in the air riding Viserion when it all happened so quickly. Her eyes watched in horror as flames from Drogon covered her brother Jon and the Bolton Bastard. And the rain of arrows that headed towards the Queen and Rhaegal. Tears raged in Arya's eyes and the hot blooded Wolf blood that was in her flowed into her heart and pumped even more furiously. Arya flew up and tugged Viserion's reins. There would be no mercy as she swooped down towards the hordes of armed men, ready to strike them. Invaders who had wanted to attack her family and home.

"_Dracarys_!" Arya hollered and Viserion started shooting flames from his mouth as they flew over the army.

With two dragons, raining fire around the perimeter of the battlefield and the large black dragon shooting flames from the front. The surviving armed men were trapped with no means of escaping. The battlefield was in chaos. It was as if hell was unleashed on the fields of Winterfell that day.

* * *

Jon felt the heat of the fire over his armour and for a moment he thought that it was the end and that he would die soon. He closed his eyes and the last thing he saw in his head was Dany, her deep violet eyes and silver hair and beautiful smile. He smiled hearing her calling him. He thought of Dany, his children. The fire burned so fiercely, he could feel it in his bones and the heat that seared his armour and skin.

Jon was coughing badly and he staggered in the dark not knowing that he had walked through the dragonfire and survived. The armies of men stared at him shocked and awestruck. The King had walked through flames of the dragon unharmed. It was a sight so amazing, that it knocked many off their feet. Drogon moved beside the King roaring and growling while the army trembled in fear. Jon looked up and was stunned seeing the enemy army assembled there. He stumbled for a while, dragging his sword with him, ready to fight to the death if need be and then the most unexpected thing happened. All of them threw down their swords, spears, shields and banners. The men knelt and surrendered, yielding to him.

Drogon roared, ready to fire but Jon stopped the dragon. Jon looked at the black dragon and shook his head. Drogon shrieked again and rose up into the sky, flying high above. He flew to where Rhaegal was. The two dragons flapped their wings, watching the vast army of invaders, ready to strike at them if any of the men moved to attack. They snarled and blew out fire into the sky, warning the men around.

"Jon!"

Jon heard his name being called and turned around. Dany was running towards him. Her beautiful, perfect face had gotten sooty and her helmet had fallen off while she ran, her silver hair and its braids in disarray. Still she never looked more beautiful to him. Jon staggered weakly to her and folded her in his arms when they finally met. Dany was crying furiously and Jon hugged her close and kissed her head.

"I thought I lost you..." Dany cried. "The flames engulfed you Jon! I watched it. I saw the fire swallowed you whole."

Jon turned and saw the charred remains of Ramsay Bolton and his steed. It didn't make sense to him, the flames had burned him. He was sure of it. He felt the heat. The searing pain even, coursing all through his body.

"I don't know what happened..." Jon murmured, still dazed and confused by everything.

"I think it's the dragon blood in you Jon." Dany said and smiled, a lone tear fell from her eyes. "Fire cannot kill a dragon and you are a dragon. Like me."

Jon smiled at her and wiped her tear gently away. He bent to kiss her. They heard the sound of a horse galloping and turned.

A knight wearing the Greyjoy's golden squid sigil on his breastplate came towards them. He got off the horse and walked towards the King and Queen. Both Dany and Jon were surprised, when the knight took off his helmet and revealed herself. It was Asha Greyjoy.

She walked to them and took her sword, once belonging to Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Isles. Asha went on one knee and knelt before them.

"I plead mercy Your Graces. You may punish me but let my men live..."

"Lady Greyjoy..." Jon spoke solemnly. "Enough blood has been spilled. Your men will be spared and allowed to live so long as you swear an oath of loyalty to the Queen and I."

"You raised an army against us. That I cannot pardon," Dany said sharply. "You will be brought to King's Landing and face trial Lady Greyjoy."

Jon looked at his wife, a little surprised. Dany would not show mercy but Jon did not argue against it. Dany was Queen, Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. She had the authority. He saw the armies of men that Ramsay Bolton and the Greyjoys had assembled. They would have decimated Winterfell if he hadn't arrived in time. His family would have been slaughtered and Jon was sure Ramsay would not have shown mercy. He heard the piercing cries of a dragon and looked up seeing Arya on Viserion, flying above Winterfell.

* * *

The castle's door was finally opened and Jon smiled as Ser Carrick, the steward of Winterfell peered out. Seeing that the armies had surrendered, Ser Carrick heaved a loud sigh and opened the castle's doors wide.

"It's the King and Queen!" Ser Carrick cried excitedly. The King's guard stationed at Winterfell marched out and arrested Asha Greyjoy at the Queen's command.

"Thank the gods!" Catelyn Stark spoke gratefully as she walked as fast as she could with her wooden staff.

"Mother!" Arya cried. She had landed with Viserion and leapt off the dragon, rushing to hug her mother.

"I was so worried..." Catelyn said as she hugged her daughter. "I thought I'd never see you again..."

Arya couldn't stop the tears that flowed and hugged her mother tight. She saw Rickon who was running towards her. Rickon hugged his sister and mother. He pulled away and looked ahead, seeing Jon and the Queen walking towards him.

Rickon then rushed and ran towards Jon and hugged him. "I knew it! I knew you'd come for us!"

Arya looked at Jon and both of them exchanged victorious smiles. It felt strange but Jon was relieved. The Starks hadn't tasted victory in a long time and it took some getting used to. Arya felt the tears prickling her eyes again. She saw Ghost and the two Stark direwolves Summer and Shaggydog that had belonged to Bran and Rickon. The direwolves howled together, staring at the three dragons that were flying above Winterfell, circling the area as if on patrol.

Arya then remembered something Jojen Reed had said once before, relayed to her by her brother Bran, _"The Wolves will come again."_ She wondered if Jojen had seen the dragons in his green dreams too. Arya smiled watching as her brother Jon and the Queen embraced each other.

"We did it Jon..." Dany whispered.

Jon looked at his wife and pulled her back into his arms. He kissed the top of Dany's head and just held her close, grateful to be alive and that his wife and family were safe. That was all that really mattered to him.

"No army can defeat us," Dany said softly, her violet eyes staring straight at Jon's. "Not when we're together..."

Jon nodded and kissed her again. They stood there for a while, watching as the army retreated. The King's guard and the servants of Winterfell brought buckets of water to put out the flames. When the six thousand Stark bannermen led by Greatjon Umber and Ser Rodrik finally crossed the White Knife, they saw the charred bodies in the field and was stupefied by it, having seen none of that before. The smoke was still wafting in the air and burning flesh still sizzled by the time the Crown's army and Lannister bannermen led by Jaime Lannister marched in a day later.

* * *

_King's Landing._

The Battle of Winterfell would go down in history to be as great a battle as the _Field of Fire._ Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives unleashed all three dragons in battle for the first and only time and burnt the armies of the Rock and the Reach into submission three centuries ago. Jon had earned the reputation of _Dragonfire_. Armies of men had witnessed him coming out of the flames unharmed. They all yielded to him immediately, bending their knees and surrendering their weapons, submitting to the King and Queen, their fealty and loyalty.

News of the victory soon reached every noble house in Westeros and it shocked the lords and nobles to their very bones. _Was it true? The King had flown triumphant into battle on a large black dragon and was unburnt by the same dragon fire that had decimated many men? _There was no more talk and rants of the Bastard Northerner on the Iron Throne.

They didn't even call him Jon Snow anymore but Jon Stark._ Jon of the House Stark, the First of his name, the King of the Andals, and the Rhoynars and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm _and none would challenge or doubt his rule. The King had proven his worth; defeating the large armies of thirty thousand men. His unnatural ability to survive the dragon flames had elevated him to almost a god like status. Followers of the Lord of Light had started calling him _Azor Ahai_ and there was word that they had worshipped him in their temples as instructed by their priestesses.

Jon thought it ridiculous and brushed it aside. He was no deity. Maybe he did have blood of the dragon in him but other than that Jon didn't think of himself any more special than the next man. Tyrion Lannister however saw it as an opportunity to tighten the Crown's hold over the realm and paint the King as someone infallible and powerful. The Hand of the King went on a propaganda campaign, publishing gazettes of the King's heroic tales and spent a lot of money and gold from the Crown's coffers to promote the King all over the seven kingdoms. There were puppet shows and plays for the people to watch while they awed over the King's heroism.

The people especially the Smallfolk who had already adored the King and Queen, loved them even more. Jon and Dany were greeted in King's Landing and heralded as triumphant heroes. Wreaths of flowers and confetti were thrown at them. The Lords in Parliament led surprisingly by Ser Loras Tyrell stood up in standing ovation when the King and Queen came to sit in Parliament. Loud applauses and lofty praises were directed to the Royal Couple. Nothing like showing military might and prowess to gain the respect of the people most especially those from the noble Houses. Even Jaime Lannister was at a loss for words.

Then there was the issue of Asha Greyjoy, who had been arrested after the surrender. The Court of Law that comprised of the Lords had found her guilty of treason and an accessory to the kidnapping and murder of Prince Aegon Targaryen. No one expected anyone to come to her defence so it was a shock when Theon Greyjoy came to court that day. He would have been immediately arrested and placed in the dungeons awaiting his sentence for his role in the first Sack of Winterfell during the war.

Jon stared at his once old friend except to put it more accurately, Theon wasn't really much of a friend to Jon. He had been a ward of Ned Stark, taken from his father Balon Greyjoy after the Greyjoy Rebellion. Jon tolerated him as Robb, his brother was close to Theon. But Theon never failed to remind Jon of his base born status and how he would always be seen as an outsider in Winterfell. But the arrogant Theon was replaced by a man who looked much older and weaker.

Jon could scarcely believe his eyes seeing Theon standing there. Theon's hair had grown thin and his face gaunt. He had lost a lot of weight. Jon had heard from Tyrion that Theon had been badly tortured by Ramsay Bolton. Gone was the smirk from Theon's face, the mischief in his eyes and his smile had withered as well.

"I beg you Your Grace to show mercy to my sister and spare her life." Theon spoke pleadingly. "Let her spend her remaining days guarding The Wall."

"Your sister raised an army against the King and I." The Queen spoke in an imperious tone, her violet eyes staring down at Theon. "That is treason and we cannot let it go unpunished."

"My sister had no choice Your Grace. I was held prisoner by Ramsay Bolton and she had to agree to his plan or risked having me killed."

The Queen refused to speak anymore and the guards pulled Theon who had been kneeling on the floor up and locked him in the dungeons.

* * *

Jon's mind wasn't at ease that night. While Arya, Gendry, Sansa and Dany were busy with their conversations during dinner, all Jon could think of was Theon. Theon, who had risked imprisonment and punishment to come out of the shadows and plead for his sister's life.

"Your Grace, what do you think of the play Lord Tyrion had written?" Sansa asked her brother.

Jon shook his head and looked at his sister, a little bewildered. "What?"

"The play Jon," Dany smiled at him. "The one Lord Tyrion wrote for you, _'Dragonfire.'_?"

"Oh..." He uttered, still a little lost. Dany looked at him closely, realizing that something was up. Jon wasn't really paying attention to the conversations at the dining table at all. His mind seemed like it was miles away. She grew worried.

"Frankly...I think Lord Tyrion is a genius," Arya smiled and sipped her wine and Dany's attention was diverted back to the dinner conversations.

"He should retire as Hand and start his own acting company and opened theatres everywhere in all seven kingdoms. He would be very rich by it."

"He's already rich..." Gendry piped in. "He's a Lannister. They're all too rich for their own good."

Arya laughed and looked at Gendry and then at her sister, Sansa. "We should have a Royal Decree to seize all Lannister goldmines and surrender them to the Crown. Then we'll all be rich!"

Sansa gasped and shook her head. "That would be most heinous Arya! It is a theft!"

"Not if it's legal..." Arya quipped and drank more of her wine. "And if it is rolled out by Royal Decree. It would be legal would it not Your Grace?" Arya asked the Queen who only laughed, thinking it a silly idea.

"Oh Lady Arya. I do not want to ruffle the lions' manes and make them even angrier. They are already annoyed with all the taxes imposed..."

"Blah..." Arya said and rolled her eyes. She then made a face.

"These Lannisters and their endless complaints. Every day there'll be a petition from those darned, prissy golden heads on my desk...It's infuriating. You don't see Northerners complaining about silly things like the price of silk or the shortage of damask flowers...Spoilt Lions all of them!"

"So what do you do with the petitions Sister?" Sansa asked.

"Burned them to bits..." Arya blurted and started to laugh hysterically. "Sometimes I let Nymeria tear them to pieces or piss on them."

"Arya!" Sansa gasped in disapproval. Dany shook her head and laughed.

"My wife can talk for days when she drinks too much," Gendry commented with a smile that made Arya stuck her tongue out at him and elicited more laughter from Sansa and Dany.

Dany turned to look at Jon only to realize that he had left the dinner table. She looked around and wondered where he had gone to.

* * *

Jon walked to the dungeons underneath Red Keep. His King's guards were with and they stood near the King, flanking him in front, right, left and back. All ten men, who were his most trusted, once members of the Night's Watch that Jon had led. The jailor walked in front and led the way as Jon and the King's guard followed him. He had never been in the dungeons of Red Keep before in all his years as King. It was where they had kept his late father, Ned Stark imprisoned years ago and Jon didn't want to be reminded of that. The memory would be too painful.

The jailor turned the key and led Jon to the cell where Theon Greyjoy was kept. Jon walked in and Theon who was alarmed to see him immediately stood up.

"Your Grace..."

Jon looked at him. Theon looked nervous and even a little afraid.

"Please sit..." Jon spoke and Theon who seemed unsure and hesitant sat down. Jon then signalled to his King's guards wanting privacy. They nodded and stood outside the cell.

"Have you come here to kill me?" Theon asked, his voice low and his tone and the slump of his shoulders clearly indicated that he was resigned to his Fate.

"No." Jon said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms as he observed Theon.

"I betrayed your brother you know." Theon spoke. His voice sounded broken. "I swore an oath to Robb and I broke it."

"And you will be judged accordingly for that." Jon said quietly. "As will all of us one day for our sins."

Theon covered his face with both hands. "I didn't think he would die Jon. You have to believe me..."

"You burned Winterfell to the ground Theon!" Jon suddenly shouted, shocking himself when he did. Whatever bottled up anger he had kept inside for years had erupted.

"You killed the people who lived there! Master Luwin, the guards and servants...They were innocent victims! And my brothers. You would have killed Bran and Rickon too had they not escaped..."

"It wasn't easy for me Jon!" Theon said as tears fell. "You wouldn't know. You weren't there! You were up on the Wall away from everything. You didn't know what was happening down South. You wouldn't understand the loyalties and expectations my father had of me. The War that was raging on."

"Yeah you're right Theon." Jon said and nodded sadly. His voice faltered for a while, turning hoarse with emotions when he thought of Robb and his brutal murder as described so cruelly by Ramsay Bolton.

"I wouldn't know. I wouldn't know what it was like to betray my own brother. Because I would have never done that. And Robb was like a brother to you. He trusted you Theon! And you betrayed him and now he's gone and nothing will ever the same again."

Jon breathed and started to walk out of the cell. He had finally said his peace to Theon Greyjoy.

"I need a favour Jon. Please!" Theon pleaded but Jon ignored him and walked away, heading out with his King's guards circling him.

"Your Grace! Spare my sister's life! That is all I ask. You can have my head! Please! Your Grace! I beg of you!" Theon shouted as the jailor locked his cell and the King and his King's guards left the dungeons of Red Keep.


	16. Chapter 16 The Rose of Winterfell

_So time for Sansa to have her happy ending and with the one guy I really wanted her to end up with. If the Seven gods allow it of course, Thanks for suggesting it Kcrane. __ The story needed its dose of romance...Also the return of Ser Jorah with a surprise._

* * *

Chapter Sixteen_._

_King's Landing_

Jon was in his official chambers that morning when Asha Greyjoy was executed by beheading. Since it was the Queen who had ordered the sentencing and not him, an executioner was called to the task. The Queen even made Theon watched the execution. Theon stood helplessly in chains as his sister was beheaded. Asha's head was then placed on a pike high up on the walls of Red Keep for everyone to see. The Queen had also executed all the nobles from the Iron Isles who had been involved in the Battle of Winterfell. Bannermen, who had supported the Greyjoys and provided arms and men.

Jon thought that it was rather harsh and ruthless but Dany had ordered it and he did not want to question his wife's authority, especially in front of the Small Council. The last time the Greyjoys held a rebellion, even Robert Baratheon had pardoned the lords when they bend the knee to him. When Tyrion pointed that out to the Queen, she was furious. She did not want to be compared to the Usurper. She would not be weak and merciful to her enemies. She was a Targaryen. The Queen did not want the nobles to think her soft because she was a woman. She was adamant that Traitors should be punished to the fullest extent and no one at the Small Council made a squeak thereafter.

Dany had fully recovered and she wanted a more active role in governing the kingdoms and Jon who had already taken charge of things during her absence from court realized that his wife ought to carry at least some of the burden. This of course led to disagreements on how things should be run. Dany wanted to reward the Lannisters the Iron Isles as well as Pyke, seat of House Greyjoy. Jon with the support of Arya felt uneasy giving the Lannisters more land.

Jaime Lannister was the Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and Warden of the West. He was already the richest man in the country being Lord of Casterly Rock, having control of all the Lannisters' goldmines in his domain. When Dany came to Iron Throne years before, Jaime had resigned from the King's guard and was given his Lannister titles. Jaime was no Tywin but still, the Starks had an inherent distrust of Lannisters since the wars. The Queen however favoured Jaime among all the lords in court and had given him preferential treatment; he was after all her _Golden Lion._

The Queen would still have afternoon tea with Lord Jaime and asked for his advice and opinions on matters of the state. Jon was no longer jealous of the blonde ex knight, but he was a bit irritated hearing what Varys had reported. Dany had listened to Jaime's suggestion to marry Jon's brothers Bran and Rickon off to Lannister women. The Queen had written to Lady Stark in Winterfell who surprisingly agreed to it, seeing that it would tie both Houses together and hopefully resolve whatever enmity that still existed between them.

* * *

Arya was ranting about it to Sansa in their luxurious, private living quarters in Red Keep palace that afternoon. Jon had made the North Wing of the palace to be the official living quarters of the Starks in Red Keep. It was filled with the Stark's sigil. Direwolves were carved in the stone, woven in the tapestry and marble statues of direwolves graced the halls and corridors of the North Wing.

Arya had even requested for a weirwood tree to be planted in the courtyard. It was uprooted from the forests of the North and brought down South. The face was carved in the tree's bark and there was pond next to it in the North Wing's courtyard so that prayers and offerings to the Old gods could be observed. There were whispers and murmurings of blasphemy among the clergy and Septons but Arya being Arya just ignored it.

"Marrying Bran and Rickon off to Lannisters? I can't believe Mother would agree to this!" Arya huffed.

"Golden haired, prissy princesses living in the North? Can you believe it Sansa? Father would be rolling in his grave right now. Robb too..." Arya groaned as she paced about

Sansa shook her head and smiled while she was diligently sewing her tapestry. "They're not all that bad..."

Arya shot her sister an irritated look which made Sansa sighed. "The Lannister girls are really pretty. Mother showed their portraits to Bran and Rickon and they seem very agreeable to the match." Sansa told Arya.

"That's because they are ninnies Sansa! They wouldn't turn a pretty face away even if The Wall is melting right in front of their very eyes." Arya said in annoyance and sank down on the sofa. Her arms crossed as her beautiful face took on a perpetual scowl.

"Stop frowning." Sansa told her sister. "You're going to get wrinkles before you're thirty at this rate."

Arya scowled even more and took a cushion off the sofa throwing it at Sansa. "You know if anyone should be married it should be you Sansa..."

"No Thank You Milady." Sansa said and shook her head. "I've been engaged far too many times in this life already..."

"And married once." Arya continued with a cheeky smile.

"Why yes..." Sansa said and sighed. "Lord Tyrion was very kind to me. But alas my heart is not with him."

"What about that Hound?" Arya asked her sister. "It's obvious he has feelings for you."

"He scares me sometimes..." Sansa confessed and shivered. "I mean he has saved my life more than once...but..."

"Just not enough for you to marry him..." Arya continued and Sansa nodded. Arya then started to hum a tune which made Sansa looked at her rather suspiciously. She somehow knew her younger sister had something up her sleeve.

"What is it?" Sansa asked her sister. Her russet brows furrowed as she observed Arya.

"Nothing..." Arya replied rather nonchalantly.

"I knew it. Something is up with you Arya..." Sansa said and shook her sister's shoulders. "What did you do?"

"I er..." Arya mumbled before looking at her sister. "I wrote to Highgarden inviting their Lord to the Capital." She babbled quickly.

"No!" Sansa gasped. "Arya! You didn't!"

"Well actually you were the one to write the letter to Lord Willas and invited him here" Arya said and gave a mischievous snicker.

"Oh Arya!" Sansa frowned. "How could you?"

"Well you did once say that Willas Tyrell is a prince among men..." Arya teased. "And now that he is coming here Sister, there's your chance."

Sansa was too annoyed to speak to her sister any further. In fact she was embarrassed by it. She had already given up on falling in love and meeting her romantic knight or Prince Charming. Gone was the naive girl from the outer provinces. Her experience with Joffrey had taken off any rose tinted glasses that had once blinded her and smashed it to pieces. She was happy when Arya had wed. But she knew what the courtiers were saying amongst themselves. The poor, older Stark girl, all alone with no husband or babe on her breast. Sansa didn't care for it.

She was almost betrothed to Willas Tyrell, who was then the Heir to Highgarden but that didn't work out and Tywin Lannister had married her off to Lord Tyrion, who was so much older than herself. The marriage was soon annulled and after living like a refugee shuttling from one house to another, depending on the charity of others because of her _Traitor's_ blood. Sansa then realized that as a young woman, she was powerless and she hated it.

When Sansa was reunited with her family and finally gone home to Winterfell, she sought to make herself useful and be the _de facto_ Lady of Winterfell. Her mother had been badly wounded and her brother Bran had limited movement so it was up to Sansa to make sure the household was run smoothly and she worked hard at it. When Jon was crowned King, and her mother became Hand, the Starks had elevated in power. Once shunned as Traitors, suddenly everyone was welcoming and wanted to win their favours. But Sansa had never forgotten how she had been treated in the past. She did not treat anyone badly but she was very cautious of their motives.

Being the only lady in Parliament had gained Sansa the respect and admiration of many. She liked it when the powerful Lords stopped and listened to her. Sansa wanted to be taken seriously and not be cast aside as just another noblewoman whose primary purpose is to breed more heirs. Representing the Lord of Winterfell, her brother Bran and House Stark was a privilege and honour to Sansa. She no longer wanted to be that powerless, feeble girl who was just a pawn in the Games of Thrones played by the Lords and nobles. Enough was enough.

Arya was Hand of the Queen and already one of the most powerful women in the kingdoms at nineteen and Sansa too sought a position of power in court. The Queen had always encouraged women to have more of a say in their daily lives and to take control of their destinies and Sansa had secretly admired the Lady Olenna Redwynne whose wit and caustic tongue gained her a reputation as the _Queen of Thorns_. She was a formidable matriarch and someone Sansa aspired to be. Sansa spent her free time in the library learning what she could about governance and laws. Lord Tyrion had also been kind enough to lend her many books.

When her brother Jon had left her to be acting regent, Sansa felt honoured at the trust that Jon had placed in her. She had gotten quite ambitious and wanted to run for the position of Speaker. She was sure that she would be an excellent Speaker of Parliament. Ser Loras Tyrell however had nominated his older brother Willas and all the lords seemed to agree with it. Willas Tyrell had a reputation for being an honourable gentleman. He was the epitome of _noblesse oblige_. Handsome, courteous, brave and kind. An accident had left him a cripple with a bad leg but many still held him in high regard. He was Lord of House Tyrell and even the Queen thought he would be an excellent Speaker. Sansa sighed as she looked out the window. She wondered if the Lord of Highgarden knew that she was his rival and not his admirer.

* * *

Jon walked into Dany's chambers after spending the day looking at the horses of the Royal Stables. She was with the children that afternoon. The twins, Eddy and Aerysa were playing with toys on the rug. Lyanna was sleeping peacefully in the cradle.

"Papa!" Eddy called and rushed, running to his father. The joy in the little prince's face seeing his father.

Jon smiled and carried the young prince up in his arms. He was a boy of three with the pale silver hair and lilac eyes of Targaryens before him. A handsome boy that had many courtiers in Red Keep commented as to having a likeness to the late Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.

"What's this you have here?" Jon asked his son who was carrying a small wooden sword with him.

"A Sword..." Eddy said and showed it his father. "With dragons..." Eddy said and laughed.

Jon looked at the engraving of the dragons on the sword and smiled. Jon then kissed Eddy's forehead and held him close. He felt a certain calmness in his heart and peace in his entire being whenever he was with his children. Jon looked down seeing Dany with Aerysa and smiled at her. The love shining in his eyes when he looked at his wife and family. It was worth fighting many battles for to come home to their comforting arms.

Dany looked up and smiled at Jon, who was still carrying Eddy. He then bent to kiss his wife and daughter Aerysa. They played with the children for a while before taking dinner together in the privacy of their private chambers. The dinner had been rather quiet.

"I'm sentencing Theon Greyjoy to the Night's Watch. He'll be working at The Wall and guarding it for the remainder of his life," Jon said and looked at Dany. "I think that is an appropriate punishment for him."

"If you think it best." Dany said as she cut her meat. She looked at her husband closely and breathed before speaking. "You know we have no choice but to execute his sister Jon."

"I know..." Jon said absently.

"And the Lords of the Iron Isles who supply the arms and men to the Greyjoys and Ramsay Bolton." Dany continued. "We cannot let our enemies think us weak."

"I gave Lady Asha my word that her men would not be harmed." Jon spoke solemnly and looked at Dany.

Dany sighed and sipped her wine. She hated having any tension between them. Dany only wished Jon would understand why she had to do what she did. But he was all about honour and keeping his word. Jon needed to realize that sometimes sacrifices were necessary for the sake of keeping the kingdoms together and that being merciful to one's enemies was never prudent.

"Then it is not you who had broken your word Jon." Dany said firmly. "It was my decision. You gave them your word. I did not. You do not have to carry the guilt around."

Jon grew quiet hearing it. Dany looked at him and seeing the troubled look on his face.

"We have to subdue the Ironborn Jon." Dany said to him. "They will rise again against us if we don't wipe them out. It is their way. They raid, conquer and pillage. They've been doing it for centuries."

"So that is our policy now? Killing our enemies without mercy? Breaking our words and honour?" Jon asked her. Dany gave a nod. He was flabbergasted by it and just groaned aloud.

"Really Dany?" Jon asked her again but she stood firm.

"If we don't kill them, they will kill us. That is the way of the world. You know it is Jon. It is wild and savage and merciless." Dany spoke and looked straight into Jon's eyes.

"We kill our enemies but we protect the innocent. That is what we have to do as rulers." Dany told him. "That is our responsibility."

Though they disagree on politics and how enemies should be punished, Jon made sure it did not affect their personal lives. He loved Dany too much to let whatever disagreement between them not to be settled by the time they got to bed. He pulled her beneath him and kissed her lips deeply as Dany wrapped her arms around him. He nuzzled her nose with his and gently nibbled her lips.

"I will always love you Daenerys Targaryen..." Jon whispered as he kissed her. "Always."

"Even when you're angry with me?" Dany asked him with a smile, her finger gently touching his face.

"How can I stay angry with you..." Jon said and kissed her lips even more. "You're the Queen of my heart..." He said and took Dany's hand letting it touch his bare chest where his heart beats underneath.

"And you're the King of mine Jon." Dany said. "Always."

Jon smiled and kissed her deeply, pulling her nightgown off of her. They made love tenderly and it ended with such deep passion, Dany was left breathless when it was over. She was smiling to herself when Jon ran his fingers through her long silver blonde hair.

"I can never get enough of you..." Jon said, his voice had gotten husky.

"Then I've done my duty as a wife Jon," Dany smiled cheekily. Jon looked at her and returned her smile. He caressed her chin lovingly with one finger and pulled her back for a kiss.

"And what duty is a wife supposed to do?" Jon asked with a yawn as Dany snuggled in his chest.

"Please her husband in bed so that he won't find another and provide him sons..." Dany replied.

"Then what is a husband's duty to his wife?" Jon asked her.

"To please his wife in everything and every way..." Dany said teasingly. Jon only smiled and kissed her again.

* * *

"Lady Sansa..." Ser Loras greeted her when Sansa walked into Parliament that day.

"Ser Loras." Sansa curtseyed. Loras grinned brightly. "Always good to see you my Lady. Your beauty never fades even in such dim lit halls of Parliament."

"And your charm never seems to run low Ser Loras even with such dreary politics," Sansa said wittily back. Loras laughed and took her hand, before bowing and kissed it.

"Please my Lady. Do not mock me..." Ser Loras said with a tease. Sansa only smiled at the handsome knight. Ser Loras and her and had been flirting every time they met. Sansa knew it was nothing. She had heard rumours that Ser Loras preferred men and realized that maybe there was truth to it as he never sought to get married.

Someone had cleared his throat and Sansa turned to look. She had never seen him in person before and for a while Sansa was surprised. There stood Willas Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden in the flesh. The sight of him stunned Sansa, almost taking her breath away. She never expected to meet Willas Tyrell so soon.

"Yes..." Ser Loras spoke and smiled. "I must introduce you Lady Sansa. This is my dearest older brother and the Lord of Highgarden, Lord Willas of House Tyrell."

Willas Tyrell gave a bow. Sansa smiled graciously and curtseyed. Willas walked with an ornate walking stick that had vines and roses carved on them. His squires accompanied him as well.

"Brother this is the Rose of Winterfell as I would call her..." Ser Loras grinned. "The beautiful Lady Sansa of House Stark, His Grace, King Jon's esteemed sister."

"Lady Sansa." Willas Tyrell greeted her. He was smiling at Sansa. His eyes twinkled as if he had been anticipating to meet her for a long time, that when he finally did, a glaze fell over his green eyes.

"Lord Tyrell." Sansa greeted him back when they were finally introduced as courtly etiquette requires. Ser Loras made some small talk before leaving them to join the other lords in his faction.

"You will be sitting in Parliament Lady Sansa?" Willas asked, surprised that she was there. The only Lady in the country's chambers of power. A rose among thorns.

"I'm representing my brother, Bran, Lord Tyrell and the House Stark," Sansa informed him coolly. She was a bit annoyed that he would question her presence there. _Does he think that women shouldn't be here?_

"Yes of course," Willas smiled. Sansa looked at him closely for a while.

He was really handsome. Even handsomer than Ser Loras. With his thick brown hair and green eyes and he had a kind, chiselled face. He was tall and broad shouldered, despite limping on a bad leg. The old Sansa would have swooned, her heart beating furiously and butterflies fluttering in her stomach would have made her all dizzy and excited. But this Sansa was older, wiser. She had been through too much to be easily impressed by a man's looks, his position and status and even his courtly demeanour.

"I was surprised to receive your letter Lady Sansa..." Willas said, still smiling admiringly at her.

"I came right away. As soon as I can...I was looking forward to meet you for quite some time Lady Sansa...I hope this isn't too awkward for you."

"Lord Tyrell..." Sansa interrupted. She needed to tell him. That she didn't write the letter, that it was all Arya's doing and she had no hand in it. But suddenly the two Hands, Tyrion Lannister and Arya had walked in and the Lords present all stood up. Parliament was in session and that awkward conversation will have to wait.

* * *

"All right," Tyrion heaved as he looked at all those present in Parliament. It had been a rather tiring day for the Hand. He looked at the stacks of documents at hand before speaking.

"The Master of the Coin, has announced that all our debts to the Iron Bank of Braavos have been paid in full. All fifteen million gold dragons."

Everyone clapped and stood up. The Lords and Septons and even those in the Council of Commoners. Tyrion then smiled. The Seven kingdoms were freed of their national debt. It was a sigh of relief for everyone to have the economy and finances of Westeros not beholden to anyone else.

"We will also report that the Crown Bank and the Royal Treasury has an excess of ten million gold dragons and the Crown does not owe money to anyone it seems. All debts to House Lannister have also been fully paid as well as money owed to the Septs."

"We can cut some taxes then Lord Tyrion?" Denys Arryn asked. The other lords then discussed and nodded in agreement.

"That's another discussion and debate for another day Lord Arryn," Tyrion said. He then looked at Arya.

"Now the motion for today, the construction of aqueducts for the Capital and the Crownlands." Tyrion spoke and looked at his notes

"All those in favour of appropriating Royal Treasury funds of two hundred and fifty thousand gold dragons for the building of aqueducts in the city say Aye..."

Hands were raised, mainly from those in the Council of Commoners and some from the clergy. Tyrion Lannister looked around and his loyal and faithful secretary, Podrick started counting. Sansa held her hand up and so did a few Houses from the North. She looked around seeing that the nobles refused to vote for having amenities built that might benefit the Smallfolk more than them.

"All those oppose?" Tyrion asked in a bored tone and an overwhelming majority raised their hands. He looked at Podrick and the young secretary of the Hand just shrugged. There was no use in counting the votes.

Tyrion looked at Arya and they whispered to each other. The Hand then knocked the wooden gavel as Arya looked displeased by the outcome of the vote. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the chair. Sansa looked at her sister, Arya and both Stark sisters just gave a slight frown. The King and Queen had decided that they will respect the decisions of Parliament and will only veto if it is absolutely necessary. Tyrion had advised the royal monarchs that, it would be wise for them to be balanced to the nobles and Lords and appear politically neutral.

"By tally of the votes in Parliament. Nays outnumber the Ayes. Therefore the motion is not passed!" Tyrion announced and the Lords started talking happily amongst themselves.

Sansa grew annoyed that the Lords were actually celebrating. She looked at Willas Tyrell conversing with his brother Loras, Willas had voted against it and Sansa couldn't help but feel disappointed. She had thought the honourable, charitable Willas would have thought building the aqueducts and having fresh water brought to the city as something disingenuous and a benefit for all. Nobles and smallfolk alike. Guessed she was wrong.

* * *

Sansa found it rather awkward sitting with the Tyrells for tea again. Margaery had invited her and she could not refuse. There was Lady Olenna looking sturdy and strong as a horse despite the years and Margaery was with her baby daughter. The Lady Baratheon wasn't able to journey to Volantis with her serious older husband and had decided to remain in King's Landing with her brother, Loras. Sansa realized that maybe Margaery had preferred to be away from her dour husband. But who could blame her?

"You've grown even prettier as the years passed Child," Lady Olenna remarked.

"Yes she does look very beautiful Grandmamma," Margaery said.

"Thank You my Lady," Sansa replied with a smile. She saw the lemon cakes that were on the table. She was touched that the Tyrell women remembered that it was her favourite. Then of course there was the bowl of soft goat's cheese, the Lady Olenna's favourite that she had insisted to have it whenever she wanted it.

"And not as fearful," the _Queen of Thorns_ continued. She smiled kindly at Sansa before sighing.

"I must admit the House Tyrell was very angry with your brother, His Grace the King, Lady Sansa. Some of our distant relatives had been murdered thanks to your mother's thirst for revenge...my grandson Loras wanted blood for that." Lady Olenna spoke. Sansa looked at the old matriarch a bit taken aback that she had said that.

"Ooooh... but who would have thought that cousin Spencer had been helping out that big oaf Rolph Spicer, who was his mother's uncle. I've always known Ser Rolph and his sister Lady Sybell can't be trusted. We Tyrells should have never butted our pretty little noses into the affairs of others...That is what I have always said and believed," Lady Olenna said and looked at Sansa and Margaery.

"And that silly stunt Loras and that scowling husband of yours pulled in Parliament asking for secession and independence...Thank the gods the King sent Lord Stannis away or we might be having another war on our hands," Lady Olenna shook her head at Margaery.

"It is over Grandmamma. The King has pardoned Loras and we are in his good graces again," Margaery spoke as she nursed her daughter. Lady Olenna looked at the baby and sighed.

"The babe takes after Margaery more. Pretty as a rose this child," Lady Olenna said and smiled at Sansa. "No frowning, hot tempered Baratheon likeness there."

Sansa kept quiet and tried to stifle her laugh. Lady Olenna had always been witty with a sharp sense of humour.

"Now what will we do with you?" Lady Olenna said as she clasped her hands, her fingers laced and looked at Sansa closely.

"Me?" Sansa uttered, surprised.

"Why yes... You. Who else?" Lady Olenna said simply and looked at Margaery, both of them glanced at each other and shared a conspiratorial smile.

"The young, beautiful and brave Lady Sansa..." Lady Olenna spoke. "A rose among the thorns in Parliament. That was what Willas had said wasn't it?" She asked her granddaughter.

Margaery nodded and smiled at Sansa. "My eldest brother is very taken with you Lady Sansa. He says that you take his breath away by your mere presence and your beauty is like that of a true winter's rose from the North."

"Willas and his poetry..." Lady Olenna remarked and rolled her eyes

"Lord Willas is very kind..." Sansa said hurriedly. She looked down and bit her lip. Sansa then realized the predicament she was in. It was going to be awful but she had to stand her ground and be firm.

"He needs a wife." Lady Olenna spoke out, not caring anymore for courtesies and had decided it best not to beat about the bush. Margaery sighed softly hearing that. She should have known her grandmother would not be able to restrain herself.

"And you need a husband Lady Sansa. And it's high time the Tyrells and Starks mend their differences and for both our Houses to merge. War is over. This is the time for peace. I've heard that even your mother has agreed to have your two brothers in the North be betrothed to the Lannisters..."

"Lady Olenna..." Sansa interrupted. "I am very flattered but I must say No to the match."

"And Why?" The older matriarch stared at Sansa in shock. She had never expected the once timid Sansa Stark to speak out and even reject the Tyrells' marriage proposal.

"You think that we Tyrells are beneath you now that there is a Stark on the Iron Throne?" Lady Olenna asked as her eyes glared at Sansa.

"No...Lady Olenna. Of course not. I would never think that." Sansa spoke, horrified that the _Queen of Thorns_ would think that of her.

"Then why are you saying no?" Lady Olenna asked Sansa. Her dark green eyes penetrating Sansa's.

"This is a good match, and clearly my grandson who, thank the Seven gods, is not a bumbling oaf like his father was and his father before him, is besotted with you. You, Lady Sansa will be the Lady of Highgarden You would have been Lady of Highgarden right now had that snake Baelish _Littlefinger_ not weasel his way in and disrupt the arrangement."

"I cannot marry Lord Willas because I do not love him my Lady." Sansa said and breathed out.

"You will learn to love him. Everyone who knows Willas loves him dearly," Margaery said kindly. "Willas is a wonderful man. Kind and gracious. He will be a good husband to you."

"I know my Lady...I'm sure Lord Willas can find someone else..." Sansa said and started to fidget with the embroidery on her gown.

"Like I said. A perfect match." Lady Olenna added, extolling the virtues of her Beloved grandson.

"He is what I call a true Tyrell gentleman. You will not find anyone like him in all Seven Kingdoms Lady Sansa. He is handsome and kind and why, all the women in the Reach have their hearts out for him. I'm not one to brag but Willas is the perfect man for you and hearing this coming from me, it says a lot. You must consider yourself very lucky Child that he has his eyes and heart set on you..."

"But I do not wish to marry!" Sansa cried and both Tyrell women just stared at her, shocked by the outburst. She breathed in deeply. They were all chattering about Willas Tyrell and all his accomplishments that they had forgotten it was her choice should she wish to marry him or not.

Sansa realized her mistake and covered her mouth. "I am sorry my Lady. I apologize for my rudeness..."

"Are you alright Child?" Lady Olenna asked Sansa in a concerned tone and she gave a nod.

Lady Olenna sighed and looked at Margaery. They finished sipping their tea in awkward silence and Sansa made her leave as politely as she could.

"Well...We did try," Lady Olenna remarked to Margaery who was burping her daughter over the shoulder, watching as Sansa Stark walked away, her head held high.

"Looks like Willas will have to wrangle in and tame the titian haired she-wolf by himself if he still wants to."

Lady Olenna smiled and shook her head lightly. She was pleased and surprised by the spine of steel that was underneath the delicate Stark girl all the while. Sansa Stark would have made a fine Lady of Highgarden.

"Oh Grandmamma, you know how gifted Willas is with animals," Margaery smiled. "And he never gives up."

* * *

A banquet and ball was held at Red Keep one evening and all the Lords and Ladies, courtiers from the various noble Houses throughout the land and its seven kingdoms were present. Tyrion Lannister thought having a ball for the elite Houses of Westeros would allay any fears the aristocracy had of the Crown. The King wasn't too keen to attend a ball, being a man who preferred privacy and small gatherings but the Queen was quite excited about it. There would be performances and dances and Her Grace was in a mood to celebrate.

Sansa was busy conversing with a few ladies when Willas Tyrell came to her, asking for a dance. She did not wish to reject him so publicly and reluctantly agree.

"Is it bothering you my Lady, dancing with me?" Willas asked. He could tell that she looked uncomfortable.

"No my Lord..." Sansa replied. "Of course not."

"My grandmother tells me that you do not wish for us to marry..." Willas said, his eyes looking deep into hers.

"Yes." Sansa said and looked away. She didn't want to hurt Willas' feelings.

"Is it because I am a cripple?" Willas asked her. His tone sounded urgent and Sansa was taken aback. He was holding her hand quite intimately.

"Of course not my Lord..." She said. Willas looked around and realized people were looking at them.

They stopped dancing and Willas just stared at her. "We need to speak in private away from the prying eyes."

Sansa looked around and agreed. They managed to walk to the garden terrace that overlooked Blackwater Bay. Sansa looked at the handsome and young Lord of Highgarden and he smiled at her.

"Your letter Lady Sansa..." Willas spoke. "I thought you wanted to see me..."

"Lord Willas. I did not write the letter..." Sansa said. She felt terrible but she had to tell him the truth. That it wasn't her idea at all. It was Arya being such a busybody butting into the affairs of her older sister.

"It was my sister Arya, pretending to be me. She was the one who wrote to you." Sansa told him.

His face seemed to lose a bit of colour. "So this is all just a game to you...I wrote to you back Lady Sansa."

Sansa looked at him, a little lost. He wrote to her back? Except she didn't receive any letter. "It was a misunderstanding my Lord. My sister Arya thought that I might have feelings for you..." She explained weakly.

"But you don't?" Willas asked. He then gave a nod but he could not hide the disappointment and even heartbreak from his tone.

"Are you in love with my brother Loras?" Willas suddenly asked. His eyebrow arching as his eyes narrowed. He looked handsome even with that intimidating stance.

"No." Sansa gasped and shook her head. "I...I do not wish to marry anyone..." Sansa said. "It has nothing to do with you Lord Willas...Believe me. I do not wish to be a pawn anymore."

"You will be a wife Lady Sansa, not a pawn." Willas said gently. "I would never treat you the way Joffrey had treated you. You will be my wife and Beloved. The Lady of Highgarden and House Tyrell and be the mother to my children."

Willas sounded so sincere and so gentlemanly that Sansa was moved hearing it. She leaned her arms on the stone balcony. She looked out at harbour and the night sky, with its stars sparkling brightly. It was a lovely night. She then sighed and spoke what she had been thinking inside.

"What if I want more?" Sansa asked him. "Maybe I want to be in control of my own destiny. You don't know what it's like to have others decide your Fate for you. To be married off to people you hardly know. To be branded having Traitors' blood in you and depended on the charity of others."

Sansa looked at Willas. He was kind, honourable and gentlemanly. A prince among men. But what would he know of the world, and what people had suffered? He was of noble birth, born into one of the richest, esteemed Houses in all the lands. Willas had led a life of privilege. His family didn't suffer as the Starks did during the wars. Sansa then stopped herself from thinking too far. It wasn't Willas' fault what had happened to her and her family.

"Then what is it that you want my Lady?" Willas asked her. "Tell me and maybe I can give it to you."

Sansa looked at him and she was confused herself. "I don't really know..." She breathed. "No one asked me that before."

Willas smiled and took her hand. He then bend and kissed it gently. Sansa watched him and a strange thing happen, the small fluttering in her tummy. She didn't think it would happen again. Sansa wondered if maybe she had drunk too much wine. The butterflies started fluttering faster and it followed the race of her heartbeat.

She stared at Willas, too surprised to say anything. He smiled and moved to kiss her lips and Sansa stood immobilized. She felt the gentle tug of his lips and Sansa kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him. She closed her eyes, wondering if it was all a dream. He kissed so wonderfully and being wrapped in his arms, it was indescribable to Sansa. Willas finally pulled away and looked at the beautiful lady in his arms.

"Tell me you don't feel the same Lady Sansa and I will let you go. We will speak no more of this and I will wish you all the happiness in the world although my heart will break to see you wed another."

Sansa looked up at him and was speechless by his bold move. It wasn't proper and quite scandalous. She was a bit embarrassed to have allowed such liberties to be taken. Willas' kind green eyes seemed to wash over her and Sansa gently pushed him away and stepped back. Willas leaned back his hand holding the walking stick.

"I really should go Lord Willas," Sansa said hurriedly and looked at him.

"I bid you good night." She gave a curtsey and left, leaving Willas Tyrell to ponder at the terrace all by himself.

* * *

Dany was watching the dance, whispering to Jon about the handsome Lord Willas Tyrell courting his sister, Sansa and how Sansa seemed to be a bit resistant to the match. Dany found it fascinating, the courtly love story that was happening right in front of her. Jon didn't have much to say. Affairs of the heart and women were complicated. Dany laughed and kissed his lips when he said that. The lords and ladies present saw that and talked amongst themselves. The Royal couple had always been rather affectionate with each other even in public. Dany looked at the dancing courtiers and the music suddenly stopped when the Master of Ceremonies announced a visitor

"Your Graces, Ser Jorah Mormont is here..."

It was the most unexpected surprise. Dany wasn't sure if it was a good surprise or a bad one. Ser Jorah had served her before. He was loyal and faithful but the man was in love with her, while Dany did not share the same feelings.

"What is he doing here?" Jon asked her and Dany looked at him, a little lost. She hadn't seen Ser Jorah in years and thought him dead.

"I think he's here to see me..." Dany replied.

She looked at the floor and Ser Jorah Mormont walked in with the palace guards surrounding him. Everyone was whispering and talking among themselves. Ser Jorah was a slave trader who had been exiled by Ned Stark. He was considered a wanted fugitive in Westeros. He would have been put to death for trading slaves.

"_Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah greeted Dany and he knelt in the middle of the ballroom where the entire court just looked at him.

"Arrest him!" Jon commanded as he rose from the chair. Dany looked at Jon and then at Ser Jorah who was pulled up by the palace guards.

Dany stood up and looked at Jon again. His dark eyes were inscrutable and she wondered what her husband, the King would do. For a moment, she feared for Ser Jorah's life. Jon then took Dany's hand and led her out of the room after signalling to members of the Small Council that they need to leave as well. An emergency meeting will have to be convened.

Everyone was shocked seeing the events that played had out during the banquet and ball that should have been a celebratory occasion. Lady Olenna shook her head as she looked at Margaery and Loras.

"Well that's something you don't get to see every day." Lady Olenna chirped as she drank her wine.

"Someone arrested during a royal ball and banquet and the King and Queen leaving so abruptly. That's a pity..."

* * *

Jon was pacing in the Small Council's meeting room while Dany sat quietly. The Small Council was present. Varys, Master of Whisperers. Tyrion and Arya, the two Hands. Jaime, the Grand Meister. The Master of the Coin, a redheaded cousin of Lady Stark from House Tully. The Lord Commander of King's Guard, the Master of Ships and Lord Commander of the Crown's Army.

"Ser Jorah has to be brought to trial," Arya spoke, looking at Jon and Dany. "He is guilty of slave trading."

"He has already been sentenced," Jon said. "Father banished him from The North and if he returns he will be put to death."

"But this is not The North," Dany spoke and Jon turned to look at her. His eyes narrowed as he looked at his wife, wondering where Dany was going with this.

"I will pardon Ser Jorah for his crimes. He had served me faithfully throughout the years and his advice has been most valued. Now that Ser Barristan has retired. I want Ser Jorah to serve me still..." Dany said and looked at her Small Council. "He will be one of my advisors."

"But Your Grace..." Varys spoke out. There was utter shock in the Master of Whisperer's face when the Queen said that.

"Enough Lord Varys." Dany said and stared at the Master of Whisperers.

Her tone really left no room for argument. Varys nodded and stepped back. No one would dare to question the Queen. Jon wasn't sure what to make of it. He didn't really know much of Ser Jorah Mormont. Jon had served under Joer Mormont who was Lord Commander of the Night's Watch when he joined. All he knew of Lord Joer's son was that he had brought shame to House Mormont and to the North. He was the Lord of Bear Island but had illegally sold convicted poachers and participated in slave trading. That was why Ned Stark had sentenced him to die but Ser Jorah had fled the North.

* * *

Dany was in her official chambers when the guards brought Ser Jorah to meet her. He looked so happy to see her, a smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear. Dany smiled cautiously back. She didn't want too seem to welcoming to Ser Jorah.

"_Khaleesi_..." He greeted her.

"Please sit Ser Jorah." Dany told him and he did.

He looked around the official chambers of the Queen. It was ornate and palatial in design. There were silk curtains and expensive looking furniture. Crystal chandeliers on the ceiling and the Targaryen three headed dragon emblem on a large bronze shield that was behind the Queen's desk.

"You're finally home _Khaleesi_. Where you belong..." Ser Jorah said pride in his voice. He saw the terrace that overlooked Blackwater Bay and the lighthouse in the distance.

"It has been a long time Ser Jorah..." Dany said and looked at him.

"Yes it has but my loyalty to you as never left me my Queen. That is why I come here. To serve you." Ser Jorah spoke. He then sighed and looked at the Queen that he had loved so dearly.

"You have a King now..." Ser Jorah said and Dany nodded. She noted the disappointment in Ser Jorah's voice. "Yes my husband Jon. I love him deeply."

"And children too I heard," Ser Jorah looked at her and Dany smiled, thinking about her babies. "I have three Ser Jorah. A Crown Prince and two beautiful princesses. They are still very little but they are healthy and strong."

"I am happy for you_ Khaleesi_. I thought you were barren after what had happened..." Ser Jorah said and Dany was saddened for a while when she was reminded poignantly of the child she had lost.

"I thought that too Ser Jorah." Dany said and gracefully wiped a stray tear from her eyes. "But the witch lied. She wanted me to think that I have nothing to look forward to. That my future would be bleak and empty. But now I have Jon, my children, the dragons and the Iron Throne. Everything is as it should be."

"The King. He is Ned Stark's..." Ser Jorah started.

"The King is a Targaryen." Dany interrupted and Ser Jorah looked at her shocked by it. He was confused by what she had just said. Everyone knew the King as Ned Stark's illegitimate child.

"I trusted you with my life before Ser Jorah and now I trust you with the lives of my children. What I tell you must not leave the walls of this room. Only a few people know of this."

"Of course _Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah said solemnly. He moved his chair closer as Dany's voice lowered in volume as she proceeded to entrust in Ser Jorah a secret that very few people in power knew.

"The King is Targaryen by birth. He is the son of my brother, Prince Rhaegar and Ned Stark's sister Lyanna..."

Ser Jorah stared at her utterly surprised. Dumbfounded by the revelation. He shook his head for a while and blinked his eyes as he pieced it all together. "So the King is your nephew?"

Dany sighed and gave a heave of her shoulders. "Targaryens have been marrying within the family for centuries Ser Jorah. Surely you know that. Besides he is older than me. The King was born in the Tower of Joy when my brother fought the Usurper, Robert Baratheon in the Battle of the Trident...and I was born a few weeks later on the island of Dragonstone"

Ser Jorah shook his head and said a prayer. "The gods...So Rhaegar wasn't the last dragon after all. He had left a son."

Dany gave a smirk. "And I, his sister."

"Of course _Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah said apologetically. "I didn't mean anything by that..."

"It's alright." Dany spoke and gave a small smile. She looked at him quite concerned for what had happened since she last saw him.

"What happened to you Ser Jorah? I thought you had died. You didn't come back and no one knew where you were..."

"I was left shipwrecked on an island near what used to be Old Valyria..." Ser Jorah told her.

Dany's attention was immediately riveted. "You were at the Valyrian Peninsular?"

"I was Your Grace." Ser Jorah said and nodded. "The old city is in ruins, the Fourteen Fires still burn but they are dragons _Khaleesi_...Male and female. They are dragons there..."

"That is not possible." Dany said and shook her head in disbelief. "They are all dead. None survived the Doom."

"Some did_ Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah said with a smile. Dany looked at him closely, she wondered what Ser Jorah knew.

"I brought some of them here myself." Ser Jorah told her. "They are still quite young though. A merchant in the city keeps them for me."

"You brought dragons?" Dany's face lit up hearing that. "You brought them here?"

"Yes I did." Ser Jorah said and smiled widely. "I brought them for you. It is a gift for you _Khaleesi._ You are the Mother of Dragons."

"Three females and two males _Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah spoke while Dany looked at him in wonder as her violet eyes grew bigger. _Female dragons in the Capital?_ A smile formed on Dany's face.

"You can breed the dragons now Your Grace and no one will ever dare to rise against the Targaryens again."

* * *

Sansa had finally received the letter from Willas Tyrell. One he had sent before coming to the Capital and she read it hurriedly. The words were so touching that tears fell from her eyes and she wiped them away. He had called her his _Dearest Winter Rose_ and Sansa read on as she smiled while the tears still flowed.

"_My Dearest Winter Rose,_

_I have received your letter and I am riding hard to King's Landing as fast as my horse can bring me to you. Strange that I have always wondered about you Lady Sansa. You were to be Queen once and I never believed it to be true. As if I knew you don't belong with Joffrey but with me. I have seen your portrait before my Lady. My grandmother wanted you to be betrothed to me but the Fates didn't allow it. I never knew why. But now. Now that things have changed and peace has finally settled in the kingdoms. Maybe this is our time to finally meet and fall in love and be happy. I look forward to see you my Lady as I keep your portrait close to my heart. A heart that has already been yours for quite a long while._

_Always Yours,_

_Love,_

_Willas Tyrell"_

"Oh...so you finally got that," Arya said and Sansa looked up from reading the letter.

She brushed her tears away and Arya gave a slight smirk when she saw that. "You're always such a romantic." Arya remarked.

"He says his heart is mine..." Sansa spoke still wiping her tears. "That it has been mine for quite a long while."

"Well?" Arya asked Sansa. Her eyes staring straight at Sansa's. "Do you love him?"

"I don't know." Sansa groaned and leaned her head back against the wall. "I feel something for him. It's strong. But I...I don't know. I'm so confused Arya."

Arya shook her head and sighed. "He's leaving today. He's going back to Highgarden this afternoon. So you better make up your mind Sister. Do you love him or not?"

Sansa took in a deep breath and stared at Arya, shocked that Willas Tyrell had to go. "He's leaving?"

"Yes..." Arya said groaned seeing the indecisiveness in her older sister. Sansa who had always dreamed of romances and happy endings and meeting her prince, couldn't see that her prince was right in front of her eyes.

"Seven Hells! You silly goose Sansa! You have your chance at happiness and you're still figuring your feelings out. This happens only once in a lifetime and some people don't even get a feel of it. Don't throw it away Sister. He's not going to be waiting here forever you know...He could be heading out of the city right this moment."

"I have to..." Sansa breathed as she figured what she needed to do. "I have to go Arya."

* * *

Sansa turned and left the North Wing of Red Keep immediately. She then knew she had to see the Lord of Highgarden before he left because maybe there was a chance that she would not see him again. The fear of it caused her to run as she never ran before. Sansa ran down the halls of Red Keep and headed towards the Parliament building that was annexed from the palace. She saw Willas Tyrell with his brother Loras standing outside Parliament.

"Lord Willas!" Sansa called to him. She was trying to catch her breath from the running.

"My Lady..." Willas spoke and looked up surprised to see her there. Sansa walked as quickly as she could and so did Willas as he struggled with his walking stick.

"My sister tells me that you are leaving King's Landing Lord Willas?" Sansa asked Willas who gave a nod. Her heart lurched hearing it. She didn't expect him to leave so soon.

"My mother, the Lady Alerie is down with the cold Lady Sansa. I have to see to her..." Willas replied. Willas then smiled. "She needs me by her side."

"But will you be back soon?" Sansa asked him, her eyes staring at his. She wished that he didn't have to leave. He just couldn't leave not after writing such a letter to her.

"I am not sure..." Willas told her quite solemnly, his green eyes staring at hers. "I've withdrawn my name from the nomination for Speaker in Parliament..."

"You won't be running for Speaker?" Sansa asked him. She was surprised to hear that. Sansa was sure Willas would have many lords voting for him. He was very likable.

Willas shook his head. "I don't think politics in the Capital is really for me..." He then looked at his younger brother, Loras who was speaking to the other lords that were in his faction. Loras seemed more fitting to be in Parliament than him.

"I'd rather be close to my horses and hawks Lady Sansa than to be near the wolves and vipers in Parliament..." Willas then looked at Sansa and apologized. "I mean no disrespect and no offence to you my Lady when I say that. You are different."

"No..." Sansa smiled at him. "None taken my Lord..."

"Besides Lady Sansa. I think you will make an excellent Speaker. You are intelligent and you have a good heart. You will make good changes for the people." Willas said kindly.

Sansa was speechless hearing that. She looked at him when she realized what Willas had done. He had withdrawn his nomination because he wanted her to win. She didn't know what to say.

"They are lucky to have you Lady Sansa..." Willas spoke, his eyes never leaving hers. "As will I if you will have me."

"I finally read your letter Lord Willas..." Sansa said and looked at him. He stared at her for a while, surprised by it. "You did?" He asked and Sansa nodded.

"Can it be possible Lord Willas?" Sansa muttered as she looked at him.

Her heart was racing, the butterflies in her stomach, fluttering their wings in a frenzy. It was going to be the moment that will change everything. She was taking charge of her own destiny. The decision she will make will be all of her own accord. No one was forcing her. Sansa was finally following her heart.

"Can what be possible?" Willas asked her, arching his eyebrow.

"To be the Lady of Highgarden and Speaker too?" Sansa asked him. Her voice faltered for a while. The emotions spilling out might overwhelm her and Sansa steadied herself.

Willas' face changed as she said that. A smile stretched on his handsome face as his green eyes lit up with joy. She had said yes to his proposal and to be his wife.

"If that is what you want Lady Sansa..." He said and took her hand. Sansa smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Anything you want..." Willas told her. "So long as you will be mine."

"I want that with all my heart Lord Willas," Sansa said and Willas pulled her in his arms, hugging her right in front of Parliament's door.

The lords and courtiers that were there were speaking and whispering among themselves. Lady Sansa Stark and the Lord of Highgarden embracing so openly in public? It wasn't proper of course and would be a cause of scandalous gossips but the two young lovers didn't care. They were too happy and too caught up in their embrace.

Tears started forming in Sansa's eyes and she brushed them aside. Being in Willas' arms she felt safe. Everything that had happened to her during the years that had passed. The pain, loss and heartache. She could finally be happy and her girlish dreams of finding a handsome, kind hearted knight or prince proved to be true. It was Willas Tyrell. He was her Prince.

"This is so silly. I'm too old to be crying like a girl," Sansa said and apologized to Willas.

"No you're not." Willas said gently and brushed her tears away. "You're not old at all my Sansa and it's not silly." Willas said and pulled her chin forward as he bent to kiss her. "These are tears of happiness not of sorrow."

"They are..." Sansa said and nodded, wrapping her arms around him. "I am so happy...I never thought that it could ever be possible," Sansa said and Willas kissed her lips again.

"I love you Lady Sansa Stark, my _Rose of Winterfell_" Willas said and leaned his forehead on hers.

"I think I've loved you even before I ever met you." He told her and showed her a small portrait of hers that he had kept in the breast pocket of his green jacket.

"And I love you too Lord Willas..." Sansa said and leaned forward in Willas' arms. She closed her eyes and breathed. "You're the _prince_ that I've been waiting for all my life."

"What took you so long my Lord?" Sansa asked him when she opened her eyes and smiled lovingly at him.

"I have a bad leg my Lady. It slows me down at times." Willas said jokingly and looked at his limped leg. Sansa sighed and pulled him close to kiss him again.


	17. Chapter 17 Thorns of Highgarden

Chapter Seventeen._  
_

_Flea Bottom. King's Landing._

Jon was suspicious of Ser Jorah Mormont and his motives. So he wasn't sure what to expect when absent of the King's Guard, he and Dany had ventured into the deep slums of _Flea Bottom_ with Ser Jorah that night. They were going to meet the merchant who had kept the five baby dragons. The streets of Flea Bottom were narrow and dirty, and it looked more like a labyrinth filled with ramshackled houses build one on top of the other, leaning precariously that if there had been a storm or a fire, the entire place would be razed to the ground. The smell of pigsties and manure was thick in the air and Jon and Dany had to cover their noses while they walked.

Jon shook his head seeing the poor conditions of the slum. He was disgusted. Not at the poor but at himself. He had lived in the lap of luxury as King while thousands in the city had to live in abject poverty. He promised himself that he would do something about it when he returned to Red Keep. Arya had tried to make some developments in the slums. She had lived on the streets of Flea Bottom for a while, after her father was executed and she knew she had to escape from the Lannisters. However Parliament didn't approve of it and all the Hand could do was to distribute bread and grains to the poor. There was a school build for the children and a clinic for the sick but that was what could be provided so far. The Lords argued that the lives people in _Flea Bottom_ had already been improved tremendously. They were in even dire straits during Joffrey's reign.

Jon and Dany were dressed in coarse cloaks in disguise as commoners. Not wanting to take any chances with regards to safety Jon brought a dagger with him for protection. He held Dany close to him, his arms always wrapped protectively around Dany's waist as they walked the streets. His dark eyes looking around, ready to defend his wife should any stranger try to accost them.

"We should be there soon _Khaleesi_, just a couple houses more" Ser Jorah whispered as he walked quickly in front of them. His steps were fast and hurried and Jon and Dany had to catch up with him. Dany suddenly slipped while climbing the slippery slope and Jon pulled her up.

"Are you alright?" Jon asked her, concerned for her. He checked on Dany to make sure she didn't hurt herself, grateful there were no cuts or scratches even.

"I'm fine..." Dany said with a smile as she stood up and dusted herself. "I just never thought we have to go through all this trouble..."

Jon looked at her and smiled. Dany sighed, looking down at the coarse clothes she wore and what Jon was wearing as well. He was dressed as a commoner when he was in actual fact a King. But he didn't seem uncomfortable at all, he could blend in his surroundings with ease and he did not complain one bit. Dany saw the dirt on his cheek and she rubbed it away.

"What is it?" Jon asked her when she was touching his face.

"Nothing," She smiled. "It's just a little dirt on your face..."

Jon smiled and took her hand while they trudged on, Ser Jorah was several houses down the narrow street.

"I remember when I was little. When it was just my brother Viserys and I. He would hold my hand and dragged me down the streets of Pentos. We'll try to find someone to give us shelter or even food," Dany said softly.

"Sometimes we were kicked to the curb. They all laughed and called him the _Beggar King_. It made him very angry."

Jon looked at her as she said that. He could not remember a time when he had to beg for food or shelter and for a moment he hated that Dany had to go through that. He squeezed her hand and held her close to him.

"But I thought that it was like an adventure. We were the runaway prince and princess trying to find buried treasure..."

"You miss him then?" Jon asked her. "Viserys?"

"Sometimes..." Dany sighed sadly. "But then I remember how cruel he was to me."

"No one will ever be cruel to you again..." Jon spoke. His eyes staring deeply at hers, blazing. The thought of Dany in pain. Jon didn't think he could take it. "I won't allow it. I won't Dany. I'll kill them first."

"I know Jon...I know that you will always protect me," Dany said. She took his hand, the same one that held hers and kissed it firmly.

"You understand why we have to do this Jon?" Dany asked and he only looked at her.

"I don't want our children to ever go through what I went through. The Targaryens must not fall from power again and the dragons are the key."

Jon imagined a young Dany with her silvery braids and heart-shaped face. How alone she must have felt and lost. Banished from her homelands and fearing for her life, begging for food and shelter. He groaned softly thinking of it. If any of his three children had to ever experience such a thing, it would destroy him. He pulled Dany for a quick kiss on the lips and nodded.

"We'll breed the dragons my Love. We'll do whatever it takes to protect our children." He vowed. "Whatever it takes."

"_Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah called and both looked ahead. They had finally reached the home of Petros Fillybee.

They walked into a small dilapidated dwelling and walked through the door. There was a narrow flight of stair that creaked and Jon walked up the steps, bringing Dany carefully with him. He saw the crates, all five of them covered with white canvas and the shrieking sounds the creatures made.

"Oh Your Graces..." The merchant said when he saw Jon and Dany. Jon pulled down the hood and the merchant knelt in front of him.

Ser Jorah was shocked to see Petros Fillybee kneeling on the floor almost as if he was worshipping the King,

"It is an honour. Such an honour to have you and the Queen in my humble home Your Grace."

"Please rise Sir." Jon said. He gave an awkward smile and looked at Dany who only shrugged. Jon was still a little uncomfortable by the people's awe and admiration of him. The way they put him on some sort of pedestal as if he was a god. It was just something strange and unimaginable to him.

"King Jon Dragonfire..." Petros spoke in praise. He then looked at Ser Jorah. "You didn't tell me the King would be here..."

"Yes..." Ser Jorah breathed and looked at the King rather hesitantly. "It was rather unexpected Petros."

"I want to see them," Dany spoke. "The Dragons..."

"Of course Your Grace..." Petros spoke and bowed.

He then went to the crates and took off the cloth that was covering them. Petros then unlocked the wooden crate. Jon and Dany moved closer and watched as the small dragon looked at them. Its head shaking as it made strange whimpers. It was about a feet in length and height. It had blue, purple scales and spinal plates. It had silver horns and there were three horns instead of the two that her three large dragons had. The blue dragon was a female.

"It's beautiful..." Dany spoke in wonder as her eyes never left the she-dragon. She smiled and moved even closer to the dragon. Jon grew a little worried, afraid that the wild dragon might harm Dany. He held her arm and tried to pull her back.

"It's alright Jon..." Dany told him reassuringly. "She won't harm me."

Jon breathed and reluctantly relented. Dany walked right in front of the cage and held out her hand. The female dragon shrieked and jumped on her arm.

"Have you named her Ser Jorah?" Dany asked Ser Jorah as she gently stroked the she-dragon's back as if she was some tame bird.

"The honour should go to you _Khaleesi._ The dragons are yours..."Ser Jorah spoke and gave a quick bow.

"You're giving us all of them?" Jon was surprised and looked at Ser Jorah who nodded.

Jon hadn't expect that. Ser Jorah could have sold all five dragons and made himself a very rich man for generations. Instead he had given them all to the Queen. Jon still wasn't so sure of the man's motives. But then again, the King had always been suspicious of others. Not out of fear or paranoia but more out of caution and prudence.

"Only Targaryens can command the dragons Your Grace. They are the descendants of Old Valyria. The blood of the dragon runs in their veins." Ser Jorah said to him, his eyes telling Jon that Ser Jorah knew the truth of who he really was.

Jon then looked as Petros pulled the covers from the other four crates and saw the other four dragons. They were all still very small compared to the three large ones he had kept in the large domed dragonpits outside of Red Keep. Jon shook his head and looked at his wife. Dany was too engrossed with the female blue dragon and was playing with her as if she was a house pet. He only wondered where they would keep all eight dragons once they were fully grown.

* * *

"Five dragons?" Tyrion asked, his voice raised, when news that the King and Queen had brought five wooden crates back to the palace. He was horrified by the thought of having more dragons.

"Five baby dragons in Red Keep?" Tyrion repeated and looked at his Secretary.

Podrick looked at him and nodded, almost gulping. "Five Sire. I counted. They're not that big. They look like monitor lizards, smaller than Direwolves but bigger than a cat."

"This is madness..." Tyrion groaned. "What are we going to do with five baby dragons?"

"The Queen wants to breed them Lord Tyrion..." Podrick explained. "Three of them are females."

"And the King agrees?" Tyrion asked. His eyes went wide hearing that. _Breeding dragons?_

"Yes I think so..." Podrick replied as he tried to recall.

"How are we going to keep them and feed them and house them?" Tyrion rattled on.

"They are still quite small Lord Tyrion." Podrick said.

"Yes I know..." Tyrion rolled his eyes. "But they'll grow into those horrible giants..." Tyrion spoke and trembled.

"The three dragons the Queen already has are burning a hole in the Crown's finances. Cows aren't cheap you know and sheep and pigs. _The Black Dread_ one has a preference for marbled steaks from the plains of the Dothraki Sea and those cost 10 gold dragons for each cow."

"I'm sure the Queen will find a way Lord Tyrion. She can conquer more lands perhaps? Lands with plenty of cows?" Podrick suggested which made Tyrion looked at him strangely.

"Why? Yes Podrick. Thank you for your input. Conquer more lands? Why didn't I think of that first?" Tyrion sarcastically said and rolled his eyes.

"Another expense to add to the books. Then we'll have to tax the nobles even more and the Lords will have had enough and finally revolted! Another Rebellion! What's another war in Westeros? We already have so many..." Tyrion ranted on while Podrick just kept quiet and looked at him. The young man was used to his Master's rants and knew it best to stay silent as he went on.

* * *

There was a meeting with the Small Council the next day and the King and Queen revealed their intentions of keeping and breeding the dragons. Many of their advisors weren't convinced that it would be wise.

"Really Your Grace. We cannot afford to house eight dragons...and who knows how much more there'll be once they start breeding," The Master of Coin, Ewan Tully explained.

"But I thought there is an excess of money in the Treasury?" Jaime Lannister questioned the Master of Coin.

"Well yes..." He replied and looked at the rest of the Small Council. "But the Lords want the taxes cut and there'll be a fall in revenue once the Motion passes in Parliament...and as time goes by spending will increase while the revenues go down... We'll soon run out of money..."

"There is no need to worry Master Tully..." The Queen sighed. "The Treasury will not run out of coins." She looked at her ministers and smiled.

"The Dragons are a boon to the country and the economy." She said with a smile. "Whenever there are dragons in Westeros it is a blessing for the people. Even during the years that had passed when my ancestors rule, Westeros only knew peace and prosperity. It was only when the last dragons die that all the strife and upheavals started. The Blackfyre Rebellion for example. Before that, no one dared to start any wars."

The Queen looked at everyone who was present. "Dragons are fire made flesh. And fire is power. So long as there are dragons, my family's legacy, that of my children and my ancestors will be secure and when the Targaryens are on the Iron Throne only then Westeros will be peaceful and stable."

"_Khaleesi _if I may speak," Ser Jorah said and everyone in the Small Council looked at the former knight and once fugitive.

"Here he goes again..." Varys whispered to Tyrion. "Licking her boots like he always does..."

"Well she did save his life...He would have been sentenced to death if not for Her Grace," Tyrion said to Varys.

Varys snorted and looked at Jaime Lannister who looked irritated seeing Ser Jorah speaking to the Queen. Lord Jaime had a scowl on his face that he didn't even try to hide it as he crossed his arms.

"Looks like your big brother has a rival for the Queen's affections now...He won't be her favourite anymore..." Varys said and snickered.

"Oh Please..." Tyrion whispered dismissively. "Neither my brother nor Ser Jorah has the Queen's real affections. Her heart solely belongs to the King...If only those fools can see that and stop wasting their time and trying too hard."

"Of course Ser Jorah. You may speak freely..." the Queen said.

Ser Jorah gave a smile and stood at the table looking at his new colleagues. He knew he wasn't welcomed in the Small Council. The King hardly trusted him and so did any of the Ministers. But they didn't know him like the Queen did.

"The Dragons are a symbol of Hope. Everyone had thought them extinct. Dead. And yet when I came across of what was Old Valyria, a city laid to waste by the cataclysmic Doom. There from the ashes were dragons and dragon eggs." Ser Jorah looked at the Small Council and smiled at the Queen.

"It is a symbol of the Targaryen dynasty. The greatest dynasty that ever lived. Once thought gone, has risen again and grows even stronger. That is what the people in Westeros need to know. That now with our Queen Daenerys on the Iron Throne, their lives will be better, they will be richer, they will eat well and their children will grow strong and there will be peace." Ser Jorah spoke in prose.

"Thank you Ser Jorah..." The Queen said and gave a kind smile. The lords in the Small Council then whispered amongst themselves. Jaime Lannister gave a smirk, watching as Ser Jorah sat down.

"We need to build more domed dragonpits then..." Tyrion spoke and looked at the King and Queen.

"They won't all be staying here," The Queen spoke as she looked at members of the Small Council.

"Three will go to Dragonstone where the Crown Prince's household will be and the ancestral seat of House Targaryen and two will follow the Princesses to their own household." The Queen continued.

"So the Royal children won't be staying here in Red Keep?" Tyrion asked the Queen.

"They will have their own separate households Lord Tyrion once they're old enough," The Queen said.

"It would be a mistake for all my children to be under one roof. If anything should happen..." She paused and looked at the King. He gave a solemn nod.

"The King and I feel the same." The Queen said. "The Targaryen line should survive and the dragons with them."

* * *

They were out in the city again. The two of them, dressed in the coarse cloaks of commoners. Dany even wore a dark-haired wig to hide her recognizable silver tresses. Both the King and Queen had tucked the children to sleep after reading them stories earlier that evening. Dany told stories her brother Viserys often told her when she was a child. About the great Targaryen dynasty of her ancestors. The long history of Westeros under the Targaryen rule. There were probably biases in the tales as it was told from Viserys' point of view. Jon would listen as well. He didn't know much of his Targaryen bloodline. It had been an unknown mystery to him and hearing his wife telling the tales to their children gave him some insight on the story of his ancestors.

Jon had told his Hands, Tyrion and Arya to distribute more food to the poor. He also wanted someone from the Royal Buildings and Works offices to draw up plans to improve the housing and sewerage in _Flea Bottom_. It was rolled out by Royal decree and the Lords in Parliament couldn't say anything against it. Jon had spoken to Ser Loras Tyrell to manage the project. The Tyrells of the Reach had excellent building plans and they also engaged their relatives the Hightowers of_ Old Town_. The city of _Old Town_ in the Reach, was the second most populous city in Westeros. Despite having a population second only to King's Landing, Old Town was neat and organized with adequate housing for the Smallfolk and without the squalid, lumpy slums in King's Landing. Jon wanted it replicated in the Capital if possible.

They traipsed along the city streets the entire night, exploring King's Landing that the aristocracy and Royalty rarely experienced. Jon and Dany watched an open air play of _Dragonfire_, with their subjects among them, none knowing the King and Queen were present in the audience. Jon just shook his head throughout the performance and groaned softly while Dany laughed at the comic relief. It was obvious that Tyrion Lannister who wrote the play, might have exaggerated many details for effect. They bought bread and roasted pigeons from the food stalls on the streets and went to the night market. They lost some money gambling in cockerel fights and had ale in the local tavern as they listened to what their subjects were saying.

When dawn approached, they were too tired to walk back to Red Keep. The two of them were lying out on a roof somewhere in the city watching the stars while waiting for the sun to rise. Dany was telling him stories again of the Targaryens that had lived and long gone.

"Daemon Blackfyre was the bastard son of Aegon the Fourth and brother of King Daeron, the Second of his name. Daemon was in love with the first Daenerys and she loved him too but she was married off to the Martells of Dorne." Dany started as Jon listened.

"Daemon was denied his true Love and he rebelled. He wanted the Iron Throne and started a war...It was complicated because Aegon the Fourth had legitimized all his base-born children on his deathbed and Daemon wanted to rule. He was also angry that his brother Daeron had married Daenerys off to Prince Maron Martell," Dany said and she looked at Jon.

"That was how the Blackfyre Rebellion came to be. Targaryens fighting each other because one was denied his Love and started a war."

"I would have started a war for you..." Jon said and held her cheeks gently, his dark eyes staring at hers. "If you were taken from me. I would have..."

Jon then sighed and looked up seeing the thousands of stars above in the night sky. "I guess I can't really blame Robert Baratheon for starting a war to get my mother back. He was in love with her."

"Except she was in love with Rhaegar..." Dany said. "And Robert Baratheon was a Usurper." Dany said, a frown marring her beautiful face.

"He couldn't accept that your mother loved someone else. Someone better than he could ever be."

"What was Rhaegar like?" Jon asked Dany. He had never asked about his real father before. Sometimes Jon wondered if perhaps he still wanted to think himself as a child of Ned Stark the father that he had known and loved and wanted to emulate.

"He was like you..." Dany smiled at Jon. "Ser Barristan told me that Rhaegar was a fine warrior. He was brave and strong but he was sensitive too, just like you. And the people loved him just as they love you now."

Jon grew quiet hearing it. It was strange how his life had turned out. It was never what he had expected even in his wildest dreams as a boy in Winterfell. He wondered if things were different. If he wasn't who he was. Jon saw the towering red towers of Red Keep from the roof top of the building and he started to contemplate about his life. Never one to keep his innermost thoughts from his wife, Jon decided to share them.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we're just like the rest of them?" Jon suddenly asked her.

"What do you mean Jon?" Dany asked him back, her eyes looking at him.

"If we're just ordinary people. Like if I'm only a farmer not a King or a noble..." Jon said. "An ordinary farmer working in the fields."

"Then I'll be the farmer's wife. I'll sit in the house and wait for you," Dany smiled lovingly at him. "We'll have some goats and chickens and I'll plant a small herb garden...and bake you bread in a clay oven while you work in the fields."

"You don 't know how to bake..." Jon said and laughed softly.

"I can learn and try." Dany told him and laughed as well. Jon sighed and took her hand, holding it tight.

"Do you think we'll be happy Dany?" Jon asked her, his eyes looking right at hers. "Being the ordinary people of the Smallfolk."

"I think we will be very happy my Love." Dany said. Jon nodded and pulled her close, her head right beside him.

"Because we have each other..." Dany told him. He kissed her lips and she closed her eyes. It was a romantic notion, rather naïve even for them to fantasize. To live a simple, ordinary life as the people of the Smallfolk. But it was not their lives. They were not simple or ordinary.

"But we're not ordinary are we?" Jon pondered aloud. Dany fluttered her eyes open and looked at him. She shook her head.

"Our path is different from others Jon...Our destiny is different." She told him.

"We are the Blood of the Dragon. The ghosts of Old Valyria haunts our dreams and waking moments. We have a duty to our dead ancestors and to our living subjects. Our people need us. Where will they be without us Jon? There'll be wars, corruption, pestilence and famine. The Lords and their games for power, destroying everything. They don't care for the people. But we do."

"Why did you come back Dany?" Jon asked. He looked at his wife. "Was it really all just for the Iron Throne?"

"I don't know..." Dany said and stared up in the twilight sky.

"At first it was just getting back what was taken from me, from my family. That was what fuel the flames to come to Westeros. And I had strange dreams of my brother. Rhaegar was telling me something. I wasn't sure what. One night in my dreams, I saw you on the wall of ice. Blue roses in the chink of the wall. I didn't realize it at first..." Dany said and smiled at him

"But I saw you Jon. You were dressed in black leather clothes with a white fur cloak on your shoulders. You looked so sad. I saw the tears in your eyes as you just left the blue roses there..."

Jon stared at Dany as she described it. He . He could remember the day so clearly. He was saying goodbye to Ygritte. She had died and Jon had to leave and go back to Nightswatch. He left the blue roses there for her. A little memorial for his lost first love.

"You looked sad that I just wanted to comfort you...I woke up and you were gone. It was a dream, just a dream of a sad, beautiful prince on a wall of Ice and snow...Until I saw you again that morning when you came to the palace with the Starks...I knew..." Dany said, her violet eyes staring at him full of love and hope.

"What did you know?" Jon asked her.

"I knew the hidden reason I have to get the Iron Throne, why I needed to come back home. It wasn't just to rule Westeros. You needed me...You needed me Jon and I needed you with me and I knew I had to find you..." Dany moved to kiss his lips.

Jon smiled and pulled Dany over him as he kissed her more. It was perfect just being there with her, feeling her lips on his. He pulled off her wig and let his fingers ran through her soft as silk silver hair. Jon didn't want to stop kissing her. The Queen of his heart. He traced the curve of her face with his fingers.

"I love you so much Dany..." He told her. "I know Jon. I love you too." She smiled and nodded as he kissed her deeply again.

"We should go..." Dany whispered when she pulled her lips away.

"Now?" Jon asked, hating that they had to stop kissing.

She smiled at him and kissed his lips chastely again. "The sun has risen Jon. We have to go back to the palace."

Jon sighed a little disappointed that the night was over. The magic had been broken. The night where they could just escape the gilded yet imposing confines of Red Keep, to be free of whatever heavy responsibilities that rested on their young shoulders, to be ordinary and normal was gone. He stood up, pulling Dany up with him. Jon put the dark wig over her hair and arranged her cloak. Dany smiled sweetly and he kissed her quickly again while she pulled the hood over his head, covering his dark curls.

"Our night-time adventure is over my Lady...It's time for me to bring you home," Jon said with a smile and took her hand. He then lifted her up.

"Come...sit on my back." He told her as he bend down. "I'll carry you to the palace Dany. You're too tired to walk back on your own."

"I'm too heavy Jon..." Dany argued. "You'll break your back and the palace is a distance from here."

"No you're not heavy at all." Jon told her. "I've carried much more on my back and walked far more miles in the snow and ice."

Dany smiled as she climbed on his back, wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her legs close while she rested her cheek on the back of his head, and let him piggy-backed her. Dany closed her eyes, feeling a bit sleepy as she rest against him. Jon smiled and whistled a tune as he started walking, carrying his Beloved wife with him.

* * *

The people of King's Landing didn't think much of the broad-shouldered hooded young man walking down the streets of the city early that morning. The Capital was rousing from sleep and the streets were empty. The man had with him, a petite woman he had carried behind, clinging to him as he walked all the way down the road that led to Red Keep. Only at the gates of Red Keep, when Jon pulled back his hood and Dany took off her wig, shocking the palace guards at the gates.

They didn't even know that the Royal couple had slipped out. Jon gave a wink and handed the guards a bag of silver and gold coins for their silence. He lifted Dany and carried her in his arms, climbing up the long flight of stairs to their private chambers. Dany was already asleep and Jon yawned as he pulled her close to him. He realized that it didn't really matter where they were. The slums of Flea Bottom, the cold freezing room in Castle Black or their comfortable, palatial dwelling in Red Keep, as long as she was with him, Jon knew he was home and that as long as they were together, they could accomplish anything.

Tyrion Lannister was surprised that the Royal couple were still fast asleep late in the afternoon, but the King and Queen had given instructions not to be disturbed. He looked at Lord Varys who gave a shrug.

"They did it again...The King and Queen slipped away and went off to the city on their own last night..." Varys informed him while they walked down the halls.

"This is reckless...They must stop this shenanigan." Tyrion said and shook his head. "What if something were to happen?"

"They were safe Lord Tyrion..." Varys smiled. "I had the King's guards dressed as civilians following them in a close distance. They were watching over the King and Queen the entire time."

"That was very clever of you..." Tyrion remarked. He was surprised, he didn't think Varys could be that innovative.

"Lady Arya suggested it." Varys said.

"Then that's very clever of her." Tyrion said with a smile.

* * *

_The Reach_

The entire Royal court had to travel to Highgarden for Lady Sansa Stark and Lord Willas Tyrell's wedding. And it was quite a large retinue. Thirty horse drawn carriages that even included the many courtiers who just wanted to be where the action was. About three hundred of the King's guards on horses. They were also accompanied by bannermen from the House Tyrell, Lannister and Stark. The Queen's handmaidens went along as well as her personal servants all twenty five of them. Jon brought his direwolf Ghost, his valet and a few manservants. He wasn't one to travel with a large entourage. The children were left in Red Keep, seeing that they were still too young to travel.

Neither Dany nor Jon had ever been to the Reach before. They sat in their carriage and looked out seeing the beautiful, fertile green pastures of the Reach. There were hills of vine yards and fields of wheat. Beautiful, towering castles graced the hilly landscapes. They soon reached the grand castle of Highgarden. It was a beautiful, huge fortress of a castle on top of a large hill. It was made of blocks of white limestone and ivory colored sandstone. It had many turrets and green roofs the colour of dark jade. Jon had never seen a castle that beautiful in all his life.

"This is beautiful Jon..." Dany said in awe as she looked at the castle fortress of Highgarden. Jon nodded.

"We should have more castles build like Highgarden. The children will love it." Dany continued.

"It just occurred to me..." Dany said to him. "I don't think we've really travelled around the Seven Kingdoms before. Maybe it's something we should do."

"It's a large country Dany. I don't think we can really see everything at once." Jon said as he looked out seeing the beautiful landscape. "It will take months or even years."

"It's more a continent than a country Jon," Dany smiled at him. "And it's all ours."

"_Khaleesi_ look..."

Dany turned to see Ser Jorah who was riding on a horse next to them. Dany saw the large Targaryen banner House Tyrell had laid out, hung on the walls of their large castle.

"They're welcoming their Queen _Khaleesi_." Ser Jorah said with a bright grin. He looked up and saw Tyrell bannermen coming down the hills with their Lord.

* * *

Meanwhile in the other carriage with the Lannister gold lion sigils. Jaime was with Tyrion and Lord Varys. It had been a long journey and the Lord of Casterly Rock was getting irritated.

"I don't trust the man..." Jaime muttered as he looked out watching Ser Jorah on horseback riding next to the Royal carriage where the King and Queen were.

"You don't like him...that is why and you are threatened." Tyrion remarked as he went through some state documents on his lap.

"I am not threatened." Jaime said with a scowl and crossed his arms "Why would I be threatened by that Oaf? The Queen still listens to me and favours me. I just don't like having him hanging around Her Grace. And why is he still calling her that strange, odious name?"

"It's what the Dothraki calls her..." Tyrion rolled his eyes. "It's their word for Queen."

"I know what it means Brother," Jaime said annoyed and glared at his younger brother. He hated that Tyrion would think him dense. "She sits on the Iron Throne now, the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She's not a witless chieftain's wife of some barbaric horse tribe..."

"I don't trust him either..." Varys said and looked at Jaime and Tyrion. "Ser Jorah is a sneaky one. We must be careful and never let our eyes stray away from him Lord Tyrion."

"But he is loyal to the Queen. And that is what matters." Tyrion told his brother and Varys.

"He was there when she had nothing. When she was just a child bride to that Dothraki Khal and when she lost her husband and child. Ser Jorah was there all along. So he should be here now that she is powerful and sits on the Iron Throne, a Queen of all seven kingdoms."

"Podrick my seal..." Tyrion asked his secretary who was beside him. Podrick took out the wax that was in a brass bowl and lighted the candle underneath. The wax melt and he gave it to his Master. Tyrion poured it on the document and took his seal, stamping it on the wax. Jaime watched the entire thing and moaned.

"Did you really have to bring your work with you Brother?" Jaime asked in a bored tone, watching as Tyrion seemed engrossed with his documents.

"You could have just left it in the Capital. We are going to a wedding you know..."

"I am the Hand and I don't stop being the Hand just because their Royal Graces are attending a wedding." Tyrion explained in scathing tones.

"It is called commitment Jaime, something you should learn more about..."

Jaime only shrugged and looked out the window, his eyes still on Ser Jorah. He then saw knights wearing the Tyrell golden rose sigil and carrying the green banners heading towards them. The Lord of Highgarden was there on his stallion as well, welcoming the Royal entourage.

* * *

In the Stark carriage that was right behind the Lannisters, Arya was with her sister, Sansa, her husband Gendry and her baby son. The nursemaid was cradling the sleeping baby. Robb was almost a year old and Arya did not want to leave him in Red Keep. Sansa stared at the beautiful castle that was high on the hill.

"Isn't it beautiful? Look at the white stone and the turrets. There are so many of them" She spoke in wonder and looked at the castle. A glaze in Sansa's eyes.

Arya looked up from her book and gave Gendry a roll of her eyes. Gendry laughed softly seeing that and looked out the window himself. Arya was never one to be impressed by grandiosity and wealth. There were just material things to her. It wasn't important. She had lived on the edge of society during the wars and did what she could to survive. Often times going hungry, sleeping out in the cold and rain.

But Arya was fortunate that Gendry had been there for her. Both of them looking out for each other. The bond between them was unbreakable. The King had offered to legitimize Gendry but he didn't want it. He didn't see himself as a Baratheon or a Lord. He was still a humble guy despite being in charge of the Royal Armory and married to one of the oldest Great Houses in Westeros.

"It's only a castle Sansa," Arya spoke and looked at her book again, obviously uninterested. She was too engrossed reading about politics and governance in the Free Cities of Essos.

"It's Highgarden Arya. It's even more beautiful than I ever imagine..." Sansa said with a bright smile.

"You're swooning like a little girl again..." Arya said and gave a frown.

"I'm getting married Arya. I finally met my _Prince_ and get to have my happy ending..." Sansa said excitedly. "Of course I'm swooning."

"I'm going to be the Lady of Highgarden and I'm going to marry Willas Tyrell..." She sighed, as if she couldn't believe it herself

"Seven Hells Sansa..." Arya quipped and shook her head. She then looked at her husband and spoke to him. "Did I tell you how capricious she was about Lord Willas? She was so indecisive I could slap her silly for it."

Sansa ignored her sister and looked out of the window. She saw the Tyrell bannermen coming down the hill and heading to her. Sansa smiled widely, surprised when she saw Willas in the distance. She waved at him and he rode towards the carriage, spurring his horse to go faster.

"What are you doing here my Lord?" Sansa asked when Willas came closer riding on his beautiful brown stallion. He was smiling brightly at his fiance.

"Coming to get my Lady Love..." Willas said with a bright grin.

He pulled her closer from the window and kissed Sansa lips not caring that there were others around. Sansa laughed when she pulled her lips away. It was such a pleasant surprise to have her Betrothed riding to welcome her. Willas took out a blue winter rose from his jacket and gave it to Sansa who swooned as he did that. Willas then looked into the carriage seeing the other passengers who were there.

"Oh...Hello Lady Stark, Master Waters..." Willas greeted Arya and Gendry cheerfully and they waved and smiled at him.

"Come on..." Willas said to Sansa as he opened the carriage door while it was moving, shocking her as he did it. "Get on my horse Lady Sansa...I'll bring you to your new castle."

"I cannot just leave Lord Willas..." Sansa said and gasped, staring at the open door. "That would be most improper."

"Oh! Just go Sansa!" Arya said with a groan, almost pushing her sister out of the moving carriage. "Leave us in peace."

Willas gave a grin and pulled Sansa towards him. The carriage jerked a little and Sansa shrieked as she leapt but Willas was strong and pulled her safely onto his steed. She sighed in relief as she sat on the horse. Sansa wrapped her arms around Willas and he galloped away heading to the front of the entourage where his brother Loras was riding.

"And Lady Sansa was spirited away by her _Prince Charming_ as they rode into the sunset and lived happily ever after..." Arya said with an exaggerated tone before rolling her eyes. Gendry only looked at her and gave a grin.

"You never wanted a Prince of your own?" Gendry asked her curiously

"Don't be silly Gen..." Arya frowned. "Why would I want a Prince? I have you My Hero..." She smiled. Gendry pulled her closer and kissed her lips. The nursemaid who was carrying baby Robb looked away while the couple kissed.

* * *

_Highgarden_

The House Tyrell greeted the Royal court with grand pomp and pageantry. There were banners and a long dark green carpet. Flowers lined the streets and the banners with the Tyrell, Stark and Targaryen sigils were mounted. Jon and Dany walked down the steps of the carriage and was greeted by the Lord of Highgarden and his entire extended family. Willas Tyrell had ridden down to sweep his fiance of her feet, absconding with her from her carriage and bringing her to the castle himself. The Lady Olenna thought it to be a silly stunt and scolded her grandson for it. The nobles of the Reach were also there to see the King and Queen. Jon looked around seeing the marble collonades, the beautiful courtyards and groves. He was brought to a grand bedchamber. A large room fit for a king with luxurious furnishings that rivalled those at Red Keep and even Casterly Rock. Jon looked around the grand room and wondered where his wife was.

Sansa's impending marriage to Willas was seen as something advantageous to both Houses. Jon wasn't sure at first and questioned Willas Tyrell's intentions but it was obvious that Willas was sincere in his feelings for Sansa and he adored her. To have the once finicky, unpredictable Tyrells in the King's side would prove to be a boon. The Reach was after all the most fertile region in the country. House Tyrell that once had a hundred thousand bannermen under their charge and reduced to ten thousand were a bit irritated with the Crown. They also did not like having taxes imposed. So when Parliament finally voted to cut the tax of the nobles, there was a big celebration. In a grand gesture, House Tyrell held a banquet in Highgarden inviting the Smallfolk of the Reach.

Of course Tyrion being a very perceptive man knew that the Tyrells wanted something in return for making Sansa Stark the Lady of Highgarden. He met up with Lady Olenna, Margaery, Ser Loras and Willas in one of their large reading rooms that opened up to one of the many courtyards while Sansa Stark was busy preparing for her wedding with her sister helping and while the King and Queen were resting.

"We want our bannermen Lord Tyrion." Ser Loras spoke, not one to waste time. He looked annoyed as usual, a scowl on his face. "A hundred thousand of our bannermen now reduced to ten thousand. Tell the King that we want our men back and we want them returned to The Reach."

"I cannot do that Ser Loras..." Tyrion sighed. "Or all the other Houses will want their bannermen back too."

"My brother is marrying the King's sister." Loras spoke and looked at Willas who was leaning against pillar, his arms crossed as if he was unsure. "Are the other Houses marrying any of his sisters?"

"The King's brothers are marrying Lannisters..." Tyrion spoke but Loras only rolled his eyes.

"Surely an exception can be made..." Lady Olenna said and looked at Tyrion. "After all we are to be family..." She then looked at her grandchildren.

Margaery was sitting quietly as if taking notes in her head. Margaery then looked at Willas and wondered what he thought. Willas gave a soft grunt, scratching his chin, appearing deep in thought.

"We don't need a hundred thousand bannermen..." Willas said after a while and looked at his brother, Loras. He seemed pensive and was obviously not comfortable by what was going on. "I don't want the King to think I'm marrying Sansa because I wanted favours from him. I love her..."

"Yes Willas...We all know that..." Lady Olenna spoke to her grandson and sighed, rolling her eyes. "See this as a side benefit. A perk. You marry Sansa and live happily together and House Tyrell grows even stronger especially with ties to the Crown."

Lady Olenna then looked at Tyrion closely. Her intense stare was starting to make the Hand a little nervous. Everyone secretly knew it was the Lady Olenna who truly rule House Tyrell and not the Lord of Highgarden. She was a sharp matriarch who knew how to play real politik.

"I want my grandson, Garlan to be in the Small Council." Lady Olenna spoke firmly. The tone in the Tyrell matriarch's voice wasn't to be taken lightly. She was in actual fact demanding it.

"He is a brave knight with battle experience and he would do well as Lord Commander of the Crown's Army rather than that what's his name nobody from the North." Lady Olenna said, looking at Tyrion.

"Yes..." Ser Loras said and looked at Margaery and Willas. He nodded and looked at Tyrion before speaking,"Garlan Tyrell will be an excellent Lord Commander of the Crown's Army and when Lady Sansa retires from her position as Speaker in Parliament, as she will have to stay in Highgarden with her husband and Lord. Then I will take over and be Speaker."

"And I thought this was to be a wedding..." Tyrion said and smiled snidely. He looked at the Tyrells and their demands. "But I guess it's all about negotiations now..."

"So do we have a deal or not?" Lady Olenna asked Tyrion point-blank.

"I'm sure it can all be arranged my Lady. Just give me time." Tyrion said with a terse smile.

He sighed and looked at his secretary Podrick signalling him to gather their things. Podrick carried the leather satchels with important documents in them and followed his Master as Tyrion headed out.

"Lady Arya will be furious when she hears about this Lord Tyrion..." Podrick commented as he and Tyrion walked down the grand halls of Highgarden with its high arches and marble pillars.

"Well if her sister's happiness matters, Lady Arya will know what to do..." Tyrion said and shook his head. "These damned Tyrells. They are more thorns than roses," He groaned.


	18. Chapter 18 Checkmate

N_ote: I'm on a roll here... I don't know how long the ideas will flow and the show reel on my mind will keep on going. Because once it stops it's gonna take a while. My mind will then be a blank screen...Thanks again for reading and for your kind and awesome reviews. Now it's time for Jon to deal with the thorny Tyrells...and more mushy Jon & Dany because I ship them soo, soo hard...The chapter is rather short compared to the previous ones. :)_

* * *

Chapter Eighteen.

_Highgarden._

As predicted, Arya wasn't pleased with the demands made by the thorny Tyrells. The Hand almost threw a fit in front of her colleague, Lord Tyrion. She brought the matter up to her brother, Jon and the Queen while they were in the sitting room of their private chambers in Highgarden. It was already in the evening and both the King and Queen were in their sleeping robes when their Hand came with demands from the House Tyrell. Jon was ruminating as he stared at the documents prepared by his Hand, Lord Tyrion. He looked at his wife wondering what she thought of it. Dany pursed her lips before sighing.

"Well alright. If that is what they want..." Dany said, acceding to the requests made by the Lady Olenna. She looked exhausted and was yawning the entire time. The journey to Highgarden had been a rather long and tiring one.

"Your Grace..." Arya said, addressing the Queen. Her blue-gray eyes went wide as she looked at Dany.

"We give them back their bannermen. Make Garlan Tyrell the Lord Commander of the Crown's forces and Ser Loras Speaker..." Dany said and looked at Jon.

"The Tyrells have always been loyal to my family. We have no reason to fear them Jon. In fact we should build alliances with them."

Jon was shocked that she would agree to the Tyrells' demands. It was quite unexpected. Dany had always been very firm and unyielding.

"Dany are you sure?" Jon asked and looked at her closely.

"Jon...I didn't ask for their forces. You did..." Dany said and gave a soft yawn, covering her mouth. "And you were the one to give Angus Karstark the position of Lord Commander..."

"Actually Your Grace," Arya interrupted. "It was my mother who appointed Lord Angus when she was Hand. A form of penance since the Karstarks contributed during my late brother's campaigns in the North. But Robb had executed Lord Karstark. Lord Angus was the late Lord Karstark's nephew and surviving heir. My mother favours him as Lord Angus helped us a lot after the war."

"Yes..." Dany said and gave a small, terse smile. "So it was Lady Stark's doing then..."

"I had reasons to ask for their bannermen Dany...You know I did." Jon said with a frown. "I needed to control the Houses and their forces. Having the bannermen directly under my command would be a form of assurance..."

"I know you don't trust the Noble Houses Jon..." Dany said gently. "But you need to build alliances with them and you don't build alliances by pissing powerful people off."

Jon grew quiet and breathed, trying to calm himself down. He didn't want to get into an argument with his wife but he didn't want to bow down to the Tyrells and be taken hostage by their demands. It was ridiculous, asking for ninety thousand of their bannermen that were under the Crown's commands

"No." Jon shook his head. He rolled the document that Tyrion had prepared, pushing it aside. He did not gave his seal or signature, refusing to budge.

"I am their Overlord and King. The Tyrells should serve me and you, their Queen. As it is their privilege to serve." Jon said bluntly.

"I gave them amnesty for the calls of Independence and secession Loras Tyrell and his factions made in Parliament that were treasonous in nature. That was my mercy and gift to them. There will be no demands whatsoever...I won't stand for it." Jon looked angry as he spoke.

"Jon..." Dany called and stared at him, astonished by his stubbornness.

"Once we start agreeing to the Houses and their petty demands, it will never stop Dany..." Jon said and Dany kept quiet.

Jon had a point, Dany realized. She shouldn't let the nobles try to manipulate her even though the Tyrells had been loyal to the Targaryens during the Usurper's Rebellion. There is limit to one's generosity, especially that of the King and Queen.

"So what do we tell them then?" Arya asked as she looked at Jon and Dany. "Willas is marrying Sansa. And if we don't give some favours we might cause problems especially with the _Queen of Thorns._"

"She may be the _Queen of Thorns_," Jon said firmly, his dark eyes hardened. "But I am the King of all Seven Kingdoms, and that includes The Reach. My wife sits on the Iron Throne, a Targaryen Queen. We will not be twisted and manipulated by anyone."

He looked at Dany who then nodded in agreement. She took Jon's hand and squeezed it as a show of support. Jon was silent for a while as he pondered before finally making his decision.

"Tell them, that because we are generous and magnanimous, the Queen and I will agree to appoint Garlan Tyrell as Lord Commander but he will serve under Angus Karstark for a few years before taking over the post, so it would not seem as if he was there because of Sansa's marriage to Willas." Jon paused before continuing.

"Lord Garlan will not sit on the Small Council until Lord Karstark retires his post. As for Ser Loras' request as Speaker, he will be interim Speaker but Parliament will have to vote for a new one and if he wins then he stays." Jon said and looked Arya.

"Well that's going to be a hard one," Arya quipped. "Ser Loras isn't that popular with the Council of Commoners and the Septon leaders. I doubt he will win if it comes down to a vote."

Arya groaned softly and shook her head. She smirked, thinking of Ser Loras and the power games he was playing. Loras was getting way ahead of himself. Loras wanted the position of Speaker but knew he wasn't quite that popular and liked in Parliament. The clergy heard the rumours that swirled about his preference for men and the Council of Commoners never liked his elitist politics. Loras only had the support of his faction, which consisted mainly of the wealthy Houses in the Reach and the Westerlands. And that did not even make a majority among the lords and nobles in Parliament.

Ser Loras thought himself smarter than his peers and tried to find a loophole by asking his brother Willas, who was popular with everyone to run for Speaker and in turn, give up the seat to him after Willas had won. It didn't work out as Willas withdrew his nomination and Sansa won the votes. But Loras was trying again by unseating Sansa using the marriage to his brother in hopes that Sansa would give up the Speaker's position to him since he will be her brother-in-law. The King of course saw through Loras' attempt and dealt him a political checkmate. If Loras Tyrell wanted the seat he would have to win the votes fair and square without going through loopholes and using unions between the House Tyrell and House Stark as leverage

"What about their bannermen?" Arya asked.

Jon shook his head and grunted softly. There was no way he would allow the Tyrells their ninety thousand bannermen.

"Tell the Lady Olenna that if she wants her bannermen back, Lord Willas will have to give up the title of Lord Paramount of the Reach and Warden of the South and have it transferred to the Florents of _Brightwater Keep_..."

"Wait..." Dany spoke and looked at Jon, her eyes gazing with curiosity. "Why would you..."

Dany glanced at Jon and he stared at her back, both of them sharing a look as she figured out his move. Dany then smiled and fell into Jon's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him for a kiss. Dany may be the conquering warrior Queen but Jon was definitely the King in courtly affairs and Westeros politics.

"That is brilliant my Love..." Dany murmured and kissed him.

Arya looked at Jon and a smile formed on her face. The Tyrells and the Florents of Brightwater Keep had been at each other throats for years. The rivalry so fierce since Aegon the Conqueror's time when the Tyrells had retained Highgarden after the demise of House Gardener during the battle at the _Field of Fire_. The Florents had long disputed the Tyrell's claim of being the Overlord of the Reach, arguing that they were blood relatives to the Gardeners, the old Kings of the Reach while the Tyrells were merely the stewards of Highgarden, glorified servants to House Gardener.

There was no way the House Tyrell would renounce their Paramount of The Reach and Overlords of the region only to have the titles transferred to their bitter rivals. Not for a million bannermen if they had them. And if the Florents were the Overlord of the Reach, they would have been so happy for being rewarded the much sought after title, they wouldn't ask for any of the Reach's bannermen back from the Crown. It would also be a slap to the Tyrells' faces as they had once banished the Florents from Brightwater Keep when the Florents raised their banners for Stannis Baratheon during the war, seeing that his late wife was Selyse Florent.

"And to ensure that I am not bluffing we will appoint Ser Erren Florent as one of our military advisors in the Council immediately. He had served Stannis Baratheon before. I am sure Ser Erren has the necessary experience." Jon continued. He then smiled at Dany and kissed her more while she sat on him.

"I told you no one will ever own us Dany...We will not yield or be beholden to anyone," Jon whispered softly to her.

"We are the Blood of the Dragon my Love. We answer to no one." Jon's voice had become low and gravelly and the words whispered were for her ears only.

Dany smiled, suddenly enthralled by his assertiveness. Dany realized she liked this side of Jon. There was something intriguing and seductive seeing him taking charge. She nodded, kissing him again, both of them not caring that Arya was still in the room. Arya cleared her throat uncomfortably and Jon reluctantly pulled his lips from Dany's to look at his sister.

"Bravo Your Grace," Arya said and smiled widely at her brother, pleased with his decision to stand firm.

"You just sent the Tyrells back into their manicured courtyards, tails tucked between their legs and in their own castle at that..."

Dany looked at Jon and they started laughing. Arya joined in as well. When Arya reported it back to Tyrion, he was grinning from ear to ear himself. He was sure the Queen of Thorns and her foolish flock of hens would be in a tangle of brambles and thorns hearing what he had to say.

* * *

The wedding ceremony was held two days later at the Highgarden's Grand Sept. The bride, Sansa wore a beautiful pale blue gown, made of the finest antique lace and satin. The lace fabric kirtle was embroidered with silver threads, blue silk chiffon roses with crystal embellishments were on her sleeves and neckline. Pearl buttons trail the back of the gown. A long pale, blue, delicate lace veil covered her and there was a silver circlet made with roses and vines that were carved and encrusted with diamonds and emeralds on Sansa's titian hair. The bridal gown had a full skirt with a long train carried by one of the curly brown-haired, green-eyed, rosy-cheeked children from House Tyrell.

The Grand Sept had been decorated with arches of roses and other flowers. There were blue winter roses, the bride's favourite on the pews and aisles. The Lord of Highgarden had worn a rich green jacket embroidered with silver and gold threads with a silk shirt underneath. He looked handsome standing next to his two brothers, the gallant Garlan and the handsome heartthrob of The Reach, Loras. Willas' green eyes never left Sansa as she walked down the green carpet of the cathedral's aisle, carrying a bridal bouquet of blue winter roses. When she finally reached him, Willas was grinning from ear to ear ready to make Sansa his, his hands holding Sansa's tight and his eyes gazed at her, as if she was the only one in the room.

While Willas and Sansa were exchanging their vows, the Lady Olenna, matriarch and the true Head of House Tyrell had a smirk on her face. She didn't get everything she asked for but at least there was something. She then sighed and whispered to her granddaughter, Margaery who was sitting beside her.

"Well at least we got Garlan as Lord Commander...That should count for something."

"Yes Grandmamma but he has to wait a few years for that and Garlan won't even be part of the Small Council till Lord Karstark leaves. If we hadn't made any demands, the Florents wouldn't even be in the picture. And now Ser Erren sits on the Small Council..." Margaery whispered to her back. "He was a prisoner of Highgarden during the war Grandmamma."

"Oh Please..." Lady Olenna said dismissively. "A military advisor? And what will Ser Erren do? Play with soldier figurines on some map?"

"Now we know that we can't make demands so blatantly to His Grace," Margaery said softly. "He won't fall for it and we are lucky he did not punish us by taking away some of our privileges."

"Yes...He is rather sharp for someone from the North." Lady Olenna commented. "I've always thought those Northern men must have blocks of ice as brains. Seeing how their dreary cold weather might dull their minds..."

"We should never underestimate people Grandmamma..." Margaery said, her eyes narrowed and frowned at her grandmother. "You've always taught me that."

"Well... I hate to say it but I was wrong. You were right about everything Margaery. We asked for too much far too soon." Lady Olenna spoke.

"It was not entirely your fault Grandmamma," Margaery said and let out a soft sigh. "Loras is too impatient."

"Loras is Loras..." Lady Olenna complained and rolled her eyes, thinking of her youngest grandson. "Loras thinks just because he represents House Tyrell in Parliament now, he knows everything there is to know about court politics. Loras got greedy. He can be a big oaf like his father and his grandfather sometimes...but he is young and he will learn from this."

Lady Olenna turned to see the King sitting with the Queen on the pews across the aisle. The Royal couple were still so young, not even a quarter of a century old. The King caught her gaze and looked her way, his dark eyes, unfathomable and doubtful and Lady Olenna gave a smile to His Grace. Strangely the King returned her with a rare smile of his own.

"I am getting too old and losing my touch my Dear. I tried to play _chicken_ with the King and he is a far younger opponent, therefore quicker than me. I should have known I would lose..."

The Lady Olenna then smiled brightly at Margaery as she looked at the bride and groom who had finished saying their vows and finally kissed. The people cheered and threw rose petals at the newlyweds.

"But at least we got Garlan as Lord Commander and Willas is finally marrying the woman he loves...So we haven't lost it all," Lady Olenna said.

* * *

The Lord and Lady of Highgarden's wedding banquet was a grand one held at the large, main courtyard of Highgarden. There were tables laid with food. Roasted pheasant, baked partridge pies, a whole cow was roasting on a spit as well as lambs and pigs. The finest wines from _The Arbor_ that flowed from the fountains. There were stacked trays of various desserts and cakes that shaped like roses. There were puddings with icing of roses, direwolves and three headed dragons to mark the three Houses. Tyrion Lannister was standing with his brother, Jaime and Varys. His secretary Podrick was there as well as the Head of Tyrion's security and commanding the Lannister bannermen, his good friend Bronn.

"I've never been to such a grand wedding before," Podrick suddenly said and drank his wine. He was savouring every single drop of the expensive Arbor wine. Podrick had never been to any such grand banquets and events before.

"Well..." Jaime sighed. "Get used to it Podrick. You're part of the Royal Court now..." Jaime said and patted Podrick's back.

"It's weird to get used to Lord Jaime. Years ago I didn't even get paid wages..." Podrick said as he looked at his empty glass of wine.

A banquet server passed by with a tray of wine and offered Podrick. He gleefully took another glass of the Arbor wine and when another server came by with savoury meat pies, Podrick took a few as well.

"Is that so?" Vary asked shocked that a Secretary of the Hand wasn't given a salary. Podrick gave a nod.

"I find that baffling. Secretaries who don't get paid?" The Eunuch said.

Bronn looked at Varys and shrugged as he bit a cheroot between his teeth and lighted it with a match. "He was a squire then Lord Varys...They don't get paid."

Bronn offered it to Varys who declined. Podrick however took the cheroot and inhaled it only to cough badly afterwards.

"You used to be a squire?" Varys asked Podrick, still shocked by the information. He had thought that Podrick had been one Tyrion's scribes all along. Why would a squire want to be a Secretary and not a knight?

Tyrion only sighed and rolled his eyes impatiently. "Podrick saved my life when _Scowling Stannis_ and his forces attacked Blackwater Bay during the War. I rewarded him well and paid for his education, as Podrick is more a bookish type than a warrior. So now he serves as my Secretary."

"Well Brother you always had a thing for the Underdogs..." Jaime murmured."What was it you said to me once?" Jaime asked. "Cripple, Bastards and broken things?"

"I do Jaime..." Tyrion said and gave a snarky smile. "Which is may be the reason why I recommended to the Queen to bring you to court. Rather than see you mope around in our home, a broken man..."

Jaime just shot his brother a sharp as daggers glare and left the group, searching for the company of others who would not deem to insult him. Tyrion shook his head as his brother walked away.

"He's still sour as a bowl of curdled milk," Bronn commented of Jaime Lannister. The Lord of Casterly Rock had been in a foul mood all week.

"That's what happens when the Queen left you on the shelf for far too long..."Varys said and smirked. He then covered his mouth while he chuckled to himself.

"He'll get over it," Tyrion said with a wave of his hand. "He's the Great Lord of Casterly Rock and House Lannister. Lord Paramount of the Westerlands. He shits gold when he's bored. Jaime will lick his wounds and get over it."

Tyrion sipped his wine and looked around. He saw Lady Olenna waved at him, beckoning him to come. Tyrion gave a small smirk and looked at his friends.

"I have to go gentlemen, it seems the Queen of Thorns is calling me..." Tyrion said.

"Well don't rip yourself too badly Eh..." Bronn said jokingly. "And I know you haven't had a noblewoman in ages Lord Tyrion so try not to fuck her..."

Podrick looked at Bronn and both of them started laughing hard. Even Varys joined in. Tyrion was annoyed and walked away.

"Never even cross my mind to fuck with the Lady..." Tyrion muttered to himself on the pun. He wouldn't want to cross hairs with the sharp tongued matriarch for all the fucks in the world.

* * *

"Lord Tyrion..." Lady Olenna greeted the Hand, smiling brightly at him.

"My Lady...Good Evening." Tyrion bowed to her. Lady Olenna held out her hand and Tyrion went to kiss it.

"It is a beautiful wedding isn't it?" Lady Olenna said to Tyrion as she watched the bride and groom at their table.

Willas was smiling and kissing his bride and they looked really happy with stars in their eyes. Lady Olenna sighed to herself. They really did make a perfect couple. Political unions aside, the wedding and marriage was one that was real and full of love. Lady Olenna didn't doubt it one bit. Willas and Sansa would make each other happy for the rest of their lives.

"Yes. Indeed..." Tyrion said as he looked at the smitten newlyweds himself. Finally a wedding of two Great Houses in Westeros where the bride and groom actually looked happy and genuinely in love.

"I must say Lord Tyrion. I have had dealings with the late Lord Tywin myself years before. And seeing you now, I've realized that you truly are your Father's son..." Lady Olenna said and Tyrion looked at her, bewildered.

"Why my Lady! I think you just paid me a compliment." Tyrion said and chuckled. Lady Olenna laughed as well.

"The King sends his regards and his blessings to the Lord of Highgarden and his family." Tyrion spoke. "He wishes everyone well and for the Lord and Lady of Highgarden, all the happiness in the world."

"Yes...very gracious of His Grace," Lady Olenna responded.

Lady Olenna gave a nod and sighed. "He's a smart one, our King...I must say I underestimated the young man. His Grace has a strong head on his shoulders and some wits about him."

"Oh...Don't be too hard on yourself Lady Olenna. You're not the only one to underestimate the King my Lady. We all did. Even I..." Tyrion said as he pondered for a while.

"His Grace is quite adept at court politics. It surprises me for someone so young," Lady Olenna commented and looked at Tyrion.

"I know the King's Ned Stark's son but I won't be surprised if his mother turned out to be one of those power grubbing, court savvy Lannister courtiers. No offence to you of course Lord Tyrion."

"None taken Lady Olenna but I assure you my Lady, that His Grace's mother is not a Lannister. That I can say with absolute certainty," Tyrion told her with a confident, almost cocky smile.

He looked at the royal table surprised that both the King and Queen were not there. Tyrion groaned softly, knowing he had to get Varys. The royal couple had probably slipped away for the night going on their many secret adventures.

* * *

Jon was happy that his sister Sansa and Willas Tyrell had wedded. The ceremony and the banquet were grand and the courtyard where the wedding banquet was held was filled with people. Nobles, Lords and courtiers. All the elite aristocracy of the Capital and the Reach were present to celebrate the grand affair. The Tyrells thought they could get their way but the King, who hated to be maneuvered and manipulated by anyone, especially the Noble Houses, refused to give in. Jon was annoyed by the audacity of House Tyrell. They owed their wealth and ascendancy to the Targaryens after all. Aegon the Conqueror himself had given House Tyrell Highgarden and made them the Overlord of the Reach.

Jon smirked to himself when he thought of the Tyrells. He wasn't a conceited person by nature but Jon was pleased with the way that he had dealt with them. The Tyrells had naïvely thought that the Crown would agree to their demands. When his trusted Hand, Tyrion had broken the news of the King's decision to the Tyrells and they weren't happy about it to say the least but they accepted it of course. What could they do? Willas wasn't too bothered, seeing that all that mattered to him was making Sansa his wife.

Ser Loras however was angry, so angry that he supposedly smashed a vase and had to be comforted by his sister Margaery. The Lady Olenna was disappointed but in the end relented, acquiescing to the King, and admitting her defeat. She had looked at Lord Tyrion and shook his hand, passing to the Hand of the King, a rose brooch made of emeralds and diamonds, a gift for the King and precious pearls and emerald necklace for the Queen._"For their Graces generosity..." _Lady Olenna had said.

Jon had worn the rose brooch on his gold embroidered jacket for the wedding. It was a bit too feminine for his tastes but he didn't want to insult his host. Jon looked at his wife and seeing the pearls and emeralds on her and smiled. Dany wore a green silk dress for the wedding, the top made of her sheer chiffon, with a full gold and green silk skirt. The cutting on Dany's top showed plenty of skin, as dresses often worn by the Tyrell women were and had a plunging neckline that showed her cleavage. Dany's revealing top made Jon kept looking at it and unfortunately so did other men much to the King's dismay. The Royal couple were rather bored during the feast. There were dance performances and musicians but Jon and Dany wanted to be away from the crowds. So they had slipped away unnoticed from the wedding banquet and went down the slope to the many manicured hedgerows that formed mazes in the gardens of Highgarden.

"I miss the children," Dany said to him, a sad smile on her face. Jon hugged her and kissed her forehead firmly.

"We'll see them soon Darling." Jon told her. He took her arm and led her into the maze. Jon had a lantern with him. They zigzagged their way through and finally reached the end where there was a large pool.

Dany giggled and ran towards it. "Care for a swim Your Grace?" She asked him cheekily.

"Are you sure?" Jon asked, his dark eyes went wide. Dany gave him a wink and started to immediately take her silk dress off.

"What if someone sees us?" Jon asked as he looked around. It was dark and there were only hedgerows and rose bushes. Jon placed the lantern on the ground..

"I don't care," Dany said with a shrug. Jon shook his head and laughed. They were being silly and reckless but the gardens were deserted with everyone at the other end of Highgarden in the main courtyard where the banquet was held.

Jon watched as his wife stripped naked and he started to take off his heavy clothes as well. The gold embroidered damask jacket and silk trousers. Dany walked into the pool and Jon followed suit.

"It's cold..." Dany shivered as she waded in the water that was up to her waist.

"Well it is a chilly night," Jon smiled and pulled her in for a kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"But fear not. I'll warm you up my Love," Jon whispered in her ear and Dany grinned hearing it.

Dany wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. The kiss grew deep and passionate as kisses often were and led to other passionate endeavours. They gave into their passions not knowing that someone was watching them from the shadows. Jaime Lannister stood underneath the tree, his green eyes growing even greener with jealousy as the King made love to the Queen, the same Queen Jaime was in love with. He walked away only after the Royal Couple reached their climax and pulled away from each other.

* * *

They lied on the manicured, green carpet grass of the lawn, half dressed after their reckless, passionate swim and tryst. Both of them unaware that Jaime Lannister had caught them in the act. Jon had on his trousers and Dany wore her slip, leaving her full skirt in a heap. She rested her head on Jon's bare chest while they stared up into the dark sky. Thousands of stars littered the black velvet sky above Highgarden.

"This must be the most romantic spot in all of Westeros Jon..." Dany mused aloud. She then looked at Jon and smiled. "Sansa will love it here. Being the Lady of Highgarden."

"Yes..." He nodded and smiled himself. "Arya always tells me what a romantic Sansa is."

"I was never a romantic..." Dany sighed. "I didn't even believe in Love once."

"I wasn't allowed to love..." Jon said. Dany looked at him and gave a sympathetic smile. "Then I'm glad you're here Jon, in love with me..."

"I think Lord Willas and Sansa belong together," Dany smiled as she started to absently twirled her silver hair. The post coital afterglow was making her listless but in a good way. "I've never seen a couple more in love..."

"What do you think Jon?" She asked her Beloved.

He smiled and shook his head. "We're in love Dany. More than they'll ever be. Always and forever, deeply and passionately."

"You're becoming a poet now..." Dany teased him. She then laughed and looked at the green silk top she was wearing with the plunging neckline. "Must be the dress then."

"It's not the dress..." Jon said to her and gently touched her face, pulling her for a deep kiss. "It's you. We belong together Dany...I can never give you up now. I _will_ never give you up." He vowed, whispering in her ear.

"And I won't let you Jon... I'll set the dragons on you if you dare." Dany said to him and pursed her luscious pink lips which made him pulled her for a kiss again.

Dany snuggled close in Jon's arms and she looked up seeing the constellations above. She traced her fingers in the skies. "That's the Dragon's star..."

"Is it?" Jon asked as he looked at the sky. He then looked at Dany a little doubtful.

"It is..." Dany said trying to convince him. "You can only see it during Spring. It's a lucky star the ancient Valyrians say..."

"Are you going to tell me a story again?" He asked her. Jon had liked listening to Dany telling him stories, the histories and lore of the Targaryen dynasty and Old Valyria. He found it fascinating and hearing Dany's serene voice had a calming effect on him.

"No..." Dany said and shook her head. "It's your turn Jon. You tell the story..."

"Well alright," Jon said and yawned. He smiled at his wife. Jon was sure his story won't be as interesting but he would try because Dany wanted to hear it and he could not refuse her anything.

"Far up in the North...on the Wall of Ice there was a young man..." Jon started. Dany listened as he pulled her close to him.

"He was a proud man and very confused. He wasn't sure of his place in the world. He knew nothing as someone once told him. He was angry too. Angry that everyone seemed to leave him. Everyone he had ever loved. His mother, his father, his brother who was around the same age and his younger sister whom he adored and even his little brothers. He was far from everyone and everything that he held dear. The young man thought he would spend the rest of his life alone, guarding the Wall with only his dear wolf as a companion..." Jon said.

Jon thought of his past and his life so far. How bleak and empty it was, now that he had Dany and his children. He didn't think he could ever go back to that lonely, miserable life. It was strange when Jon thought about it. He had wanted so badly to join the Nights' Watch and to swear their Oath. To be like his uncle Benjen. Benjen Stark had said that Jon wasn't ready. He was still so young. But Jon was an impulsive one and he had wanted to prove something. To find his own way and rise in the world where no one thought much of him.

"One day the young man met a beautiful woman, who was like an angel that fell from the Heavens. She had hair silver like the stars and eyes of purple violet gems..." He continued telling his story

Dany smiled hearing it and touched Jon's face, letting her fingers skimmed and caressed his goatee and beard.

"She was a Queen from some distant land and she took his hand. They rode the dragons together and she made him King. And that lonely young man was not alone in the world anymore. He had found love and had children, his own happy family. And most importantly he had her, the Queen of his heart. His True Love, the Light in his Life..." Jon then paused and looked at Dany.

It was true, the words that came out of his mouth. Jon meant every single word and syllable. He loved Dany with everything in him. He didn't care about whatever blood they shared. It was unfortunate to find out that they were related but what could Jon do? What could anyone do if they were in the same position? Jon had loved her at first sight and knew they would be together for the rest of their lives. Dany belonged to him and he belonged to her.

There was no other way. There could be no other way. They were two halves of the same soul. Lonely, lost Targaryen orphans with no one around them. They found their strength alone and found their own way despite the treachery and dangers of the world that had surrounded them but now that they had found each other, they couldn't let go. They needed each other. Neither could function without the other. They were each other's strengths and weaknesses. And together anything was possible.

"And then what happens?" Dany asked. She realized that Jon had stopped for a while. His thoughts miles away as his eyes were looking at the stars above. Jon then looked at her and smiled.

"What was the line that they often used in stories?" Jon asked her.

"They lived happily..." Dany started and tried to figure the line out but she had forgotten. Her brows furrowed quizzically.

Jon had heard the words before when he stood outside the door as a child, listening as Lady Stark told stories to her children, and not to him. No one told him stories or fairy tales. He only had his nursemaid as a caretaker when he was young and she only sang lullabies. He remembered how slightly jealous he was of Robb and Sansa that their mother was there to tuck them in and told them stories. That whenever they were afraid of the storm and the howling wind, Lady Stark would hold them in her arms and comfort them.

He then realized that it didn't matter what had happened in the past. Jon couldn't change it. No one could. He was still the motherless boy. That would not change. Jon then looked at his beautiful wife, seeing her lying in his arms, snuggling close. He had Dany now and he had his children and that made up for everything that he didn't have before. Maybe that was the strange thing about life. Somehow, things happened for reasons unknown and whatever difficulties and disappointments Jon had experienced, the gods above had manage a way to reward him well and he would never take it for granted. Jon had promised himself that.

"Yes..." Jon nodded when he finally remembered the line. "They lived happily ever after..."

"Happily ever after?" Dany asked Jon arching her eyebrow as if she wasn't sure that Jon had gotten the words right.

"Are you sure Jon?" She asked him again as she looked at him closely. "Are you sure that's how stories usually end?"

"Yes Dany." He nodded and smiled at his wife, all the love for her shining in his dark brown eyes.

"I am very sure that is how our story will end." Jon said confidently and kissed her again.

* * *

They kissed for a while more before gathering their things. Jon lifted Dany up in his arms again and carried her to the bedchamber as she closed her eyes and fell to sleep, safe in his arms. No one questioned the King seeing him without his shirt. The King's Guards walked to him and flanked around His Grace, surrounding him from all sides. They covered him as he walked down the marbled halls of Highgarden, passing by the Lords and Ladies, unaffected as they bowed and curtseyed to him. Jon gave a small smile to the nobles, not wanting to be seen as arrogant.

The nobles of the Reach who had caught a peep of the half naked King Jon _Dragonfire _carrying the sleeping queen who was in her silk slip started chattering about it. The older Ladies were having vapours as they described how scandalous the entire incident was. It was unheard of, the King walking down the halls of Highgarden with his upper body bare and the Queen skimpily dressed. Some Ladies had to cover the eyes of their young, unmarried daughters not wanting to expose the innocent women to such scandal.

"His Grace is so handsome..." One of the young Ladies from House Tyrell was heard swooning to her friends in the courtyard

"I saw a glimpse of him without his shirt. And he looks so strong," The young woman said rather excitedly. "I think the King is handsomer than even Ser Loras."

"How romantic to be carried off by the King like that..." Another young Lady whispered and sighed. "I want to find a man just like him to marry."

"Maybe all the men in the North are like that..." Her friend quipped and the group of young Ladies started giggling.

"Enough!" The heavy set Septa scolded and frowned at her charges. "It's late and you young ladies should be off to bed. No more talk of half naked Kings!"


	19. Chapter 19 Crisis of Faith & Marriage

_Note: Okay. Another parallel to what happened in the middle ages...and where would the middle ages be without the crusades, papal inquisitions and religious persecution and the Protestant Reformation in the later years. Jon's hasty past actions has come to bite him back in his cute arse with disastrous consequences. Major Angst...but don't hate on me just yet...Yah well, no marriage is perfect...but they will get through this...  
_

* * *

Chapter Nineteen.

_King's Landing_

The Small Council wasn't so small anymore with the addition of Ser Erren Florent, once the brother in law of _Scowling Stannis_ and a knight who had fought for him_. _Jaime grunted to himself, as Ser Erren took his seat. Thank the Seven gods that the round table in the Small Council meeting room was large enough to hold all fifteen of them. Loras Tyrell who was still holding the position of Lord Commander of City Watch and was the interim Speaker rolled his eyes seeing Ser Erren. Rivalry between the two families of The Reach was as palpable as it was centuries before. It was made worst when the Tyrells had captured Ser Erren and made him a prisoner in Highgarden.

The two Hands walked in with their Secretaries and announced that it would just be the Small Council as King and Queen wanted to spend the day with their children. Jaime sighed, he was disappointed. He had been looking forward to see the Queen. Jaime could not get her out of his head, ever since he stumbled upon the King and Queen in the dark lawns of Highgarden. It was obviously pointless to desire someone who was not his and will never be. Jaime looked at Ser Jorah, who looked disappointed as well. He was also another man who was besotted with the beautiful Queen. The rumours that swirled around must be true.

Ser Jorah was given several titles and rewards. He was the new Master of Laws, which Jaime found rather ironic, since Ser Jorah had broken a law whereby the punishment was death before he had fled Westeros. Ser Jorah was also given back Bear Island and other lands when the Queen had made him the Lord of House Mormont. The King was quite hesitant to give Ser Jorah his dues but it was the Queen's wishes and he acquiesced.

The five new dragons that the Queen had recently acquired were kept in the Royal family's residence. The Queen wanted her children to get used to the reptilian creatures and set them free to wander in the courtyard. Tyrion was still wary of them and trembled whenever he was near the dragons but the guards and servants of Red Keep had gotten used to the creatures. They were surprisingly tame and did not attack anyone.

While the King was busy overseeing the construction of housing and sewerage works for Flea Bottom with the Tyrells and Hightowers, the Queen dealt with the governance of the country. Jaime realized the Queen wasn't really interested with the inner working politics in Parliament or the administration of the country. She had no liking for Crown finances, the crop yields and the economy or understood much of what was being explained by the Master of Coin on the workings of trade. She knew little of the Laws and the Septs' functions in society. The Queen only cared for four things. She was concerned for the welfare of the people, her children's development, her eight dragons and her husband, The King.

Tyrion had complained to Jaime several times that Daenerys Stormborn was more a warrior Queen and Conqueror and less the stateswoman. She could conquer lands, free slaves and made herself a beloved icon of the people. But she knew little of actual governance and even less of the politics involved in ruling a kingdom, and the Queen had seven kingdoms under her charge not to mention half of Essos overseas. Her Grace was happy to let her Hands and the nobles, those she trusted to handle the leg work and state affairs, not bothering with the little details.

Her husband however was very much into details. The King would go to the Royal Stables himself to look at new foals and meet with engineers and architects on the dusty sites of his construction projects. The Lords in Parliament knew The King was no fool. He would scrutinize every single legislation and state document before giving his seal. In a lot of ways, the Royal Couple complement each other. The beautiful Queen, who was much more comfortable with the old ways where she trusted her Hands and the Lords' advice on state matters and the King who mistrusted the Lords and much of the noble Houses and would rather trust his own gut instincts.

* * *

"These loans the Crown Bank issues to the merchants and the Smallfolk, the interest are too low Your Grace. Too low that the other banks cannot compete," Jaime was telling the Queen one afternoon, while they were having their usual tea time sessions.

The Queen would meet with him once a week for an hour or two and they discussed matters of state or share gossips or just played chess or a game of cards. The Queen looked at him and sighed, petting the blue female dragon of hers.

"It doesn't make sense for low interest rates, as the Crown won't earn a tidy profit and it could be at the expense of the tax payer. Master Tully warned it will cause a problem...Too many people taking loans that they can't repay and soon the Treasury will be wiped clean." Jaime continued.

He looked at the Queen and it was obvious she wasn't paying much attention. She was still playing with her dragon. Jaime didn't even want to talk about the Crown Bank but his Lannister relatives had been bugging him for ages and he decided to carry out the favour so they would stop their incessant rants.

"So what I am trying to say Your Grace, is perhaps it might better for the Crown Bank to raise the interest rate to allow other banks such as those from House Lannister to compete. If the markets are more competitive, the economy will be fairer" Jaime then paused and the Queen was still engrossed with her new pet.

"_Dracarys_ Rhaenys..._Dracarys_..." She cooed softly to the dragon. The she-dragon shrieked and looked at the Queen.

She had named the blue dragon, _Rhaenys_ after the younger of Aegon the Conqueror's sister-wives. The other two female dragons were named _Visenya_ and _Valyria_. And the two male dragons named _Aegon_ and _Balerion_, _as unoriginal as names go_. The Queen couldn't think of any more fitting than that of her ancestors and their rich history. The blue she-dragon screeched and the Queen laughed softly as she tried to bait the dragon with pieces of meat.

"Come on...you can do it..." The Queen coaxed as she rolled a small piece of meat. "Sweet Rhaenys..." She said and stroked the dragon's back. The she-dragon only shrieked and flew around the room before landing at the window ledge.

"I think we have a problem Lord Jaime..." The Queen said and sighed, looking at her blue dragon perched on the window sill.

"We do?" Jaime asked her. He wasn't sure what she meant. _The Crown Bank had a problem?_

"My female dragons can't blow out fire...It seems only the males can..." The Queen said. She was disappointed, Jaime could tell by the tone of her voice and the look on her beautiful face.

"Well...It won't be such a bad thing..." Jaime said with a smile. "Can't have too many fiery females under one roof."

The Queen looked at him and suddenly laughed. Jaime laughed as well and sipped his tea. "So, Your Grace...about the matter of the Crown's Bank?"

"Well. Yes Of course. Whatever you think is right Lord Jaime..." The Queen said with a smile. "You have my approval."

Jaime smiled and finished his tea. He had the Queen wrapped around his finger. Jaime may not be the great tactician like his father the Mighty Tywin, but he realized he had other talents that could be used. There were other ways to play the power games in Westeros. He gave the Queen the scrolls, waiting for her seal and signature, which she had happily given to him.

* * *

Two Years later

_Great Sept of Baelor._

Jon was new the Faith of the Seven. He had been worshipping the Old gods when he was a boy in the North but he converted on Lord Tyrion's and Lady Stark's advice after being King. The Faith of the Seven was the main religion in much of Westeros and the known World and the people would want their Ruler to share the same values and beliefs. The King also owed the Sept a great deal as they had came together to support and endorse him during the troubles in Parliament when Stannis Baratheon wanted to secede. Jon hadn't been to the Great Sept for a while and when Dany was unwell and recovering, the reason spoke for itself but now that The Queen was healthier, Jon knew he could not put it off any longer and decided to go to the Great Sept of Baelor, bringing his wife and three children with him.

Jon stared at the stained glass windows and the towering statues. They were of Baelor and other great Targaryen kings. There were many candles lit for vigils on the various altars. He was in the House of the Seven gods and yet he felt out of place. Dany was walking in front of him holding Eddy's hand and three year old Lyanna. She had to wear a silk scarf over her head. Aerysa was holding his hand as they walked. Her long white, blonde hair tied into braids like her mother and her cheeks had gotten red, flushed from the afternoon under the sun. The twins' complexions were so pale that an hour out in the sun would leave them all pink and burned.

The princess Aerysa was a curious little girl. Even at five, she had a tendency to wander off that Jon had to pay close attention to her, less she disappeared from his sight. Aerysa had caused many a panic to nannies and nursemaids, often going missing even in the palace. She would be in her hiding place, under the bed of one of the many hundreds of rooms talking to her invisible friend. The little silver haired princess let go of her father's hand and walked to the steel gates of the tombs.

"What's that?" Aerysa asked as she held on the steel gates and looked in seeing the stone sarcophagus.

"That's where your grandfather is buried," Jon said softly to her as he crouched. It was the tomb of the late Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Jon turned around and saw that the children's nannies were several feet behind, talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Dragon..." Aerysa said as she looked inside. She saw the carvings of dragons on the stone.

"No there are no dragons in there," Jon sighed and lifted his daughter up in his arms. "It's just a tomb."

"Grandfather's a dragon," Aerysa smiled, her lilac eyes brightened. Jon smiled back at her and rubbed his nose on her small button one.

"Yes he is..." Jon said. "And you're a dragon too..."

"No..." Aerysa shook her head. "I'm a wolf like you Papa..."

"You're a dragon and a wolf..." Jon said and kissed the top of her head. "Just like me." He whispered.

Jon carried Aerysa to where Dany and their son were. Dany lit a few candles and said a prayer. Eddy was just staring at her as she did that.

"What are you doing _Issa_?" Eddy asked his mother.

"I'm saying a prayer for all of us..." Dany smiled at the little prince.

"Can I say a prayer too?" Aerysa asked.

"We'll all say a prayer together..." Dany smiled. Jon stood and watched as his wife lit more candles at the altar. She started speaking softly in High Valyrian and the children followed as she prayed.

Jon never understood the Valyrian words but Dany had taught their children her mother tongue. She would talk to them in the old language and have conversations and insisted on them calling her_ Issa_ and not Mama. She sang songs of Old Valyria to lull them to sleep and when the twins did something that she didn't approve, their mother would go on a long High Valyrian tirade, with the smattering words all over the place that would confuse Jon. Eddy would laugh running to his father and whispered in Jon's ear that his mother had become the dragonlady.

They finished after a while and Dany turned and smiled at Jon. She then took his hand as they walked, while the nannies and nursemaids minded the children.

"Lord Tyrion says you'll be meeting the High Septon later." Dany said to him.

"It's something I've put off for a quite some time..." Jon said and sighed. "Lord Tyrion told me the High Septon is not happy."

"Don't let him intimidate you Jon," Dany said and held his chin, her violet eyes looking straight at his.

"He is just a priest Jon. You are King...You are the blood of Old Valyria."

Jon shook his head and kissed his wife's forehead. "He is representing the Seven gods on Earth Dany. The High Septon is even above the King..."

"It doesn't have to be..." Dany whispered and kiss his lips. "You know it doesn't." She said and looked at him. "Dragons answer to no one."

* * *

"Your Grace..."

Both of them turned and there was the High Septon standing, looking regal and intimidating, wearing his robes. Instead of a crystal crown, he had a small cap on his head. He walked, accompanied by a few Septons, who were high ranking bishops from the Most Devout. Dany looked at Jon and gave a nod of her head. She then walked back to where her children were.

"Your Holiness..." Jon bowed.

The High Septon took out his hand and Jon bent to kiss it. They walked down the circular hall together. The King's guards following them in a close distance.

"It's nice of you to come," The High Septon spoke. "We haven't seen you for quite a while..."

"Yes I know..." Jon said, he noted the sarcasm in the head priest's tone.

The High Septon gave a small smirk. "Have you forgotten your duties Your Grace? You are the Defender of the Faith..."

"Of course I haven't," Jon said and he frowned slightly.

"I know you're new to our ways Your Grace but you have a responsibility," The High Septon said to him in a high handed tone. Jon almost felt as if he was being lectured.

"Come..." The High Septon said and led Jon to his chambers. "There is much we need to talk about."

Jon came to the High Septon's official chambers that opened up to a small garden. The High Septon sat down and a Septa came in to serve tea, some lemon cakes and pastries.

"You know this Great Sept was built by one of the Targaryen Kings," the High Septon spoke as he drank his tea.

"Yes... Baelor the Blessed." Jon responded. He had learned a lot about History from Master Luwin as a child in Winterfell and his wife had also filled in many of the gaps on the Targaryen dynasty.

"He was a good King," The High Septon spoke. "Very devout. A man of peace. A true defender of the Faith...Baelor Targaryen was made a Saint after his death," The priest continued.

Jon kept quiet and gave a polite smile. All he knew of Baelor was that he was quite a fanatic, who had imprisoned his sisters and starved himself death in order to prevent him from doing lustful things. He wanted doves instead of ravens to be messengers. There was talk that maybe it was his Hand who had poisoned the saintly King. No one knew for sure.

"The Faith is very important. More important than kings or dynasties Your Grace..." The High Septon said and looked at Jon closely. "Kings born and die, kingdoms and dynasties rise and fall but the Faith remains..."

"Are you going somewhere with this Your Holiness?" Jon asked, his dark eyes regarded the older man sharply.

"I've heard troubling news Your Grace. My bishops, Septons in the palace reports that one of your Hands, your sister in fact, has a weirwood tree planted in the courtyard of Red Keep, a face carved on the tree's trunk..." The High Septon spoke. "It's been there for quite a while they say."

"Yes she has." Jon said and looked at the priest.

"So she worships the Old gods then? As do you?" The High Septon asked Jon.

"No." Jon frowned. "My sister does but I have converted. You know this Your Holiness. My sister is from the North as are my family. Some of them are in the Faith and others worship the Old gods."

"The North worships the Old gods en masse. It is not right. It is against the Seven to have other gods..." The High Septon said high handedly. "Maybe if they had converted before, they would not have suffered so much during the war... It's the Seven gods' punishment to them" He spoke, contempt in his voice.

"They have their gods as you have yours Your Holiness." Jon told him, raising his tone that chagrined the head priest. Jon was getting even more annoyed by the High Septon. For the priest to so easily dismiss an entire region because of their beliefs.

"As a defender of the Faith it is your responsibility to ensure no such heresy and blasphemy goes on. You will need to convince the people of the North to embrace the True Faith and the True gods..." the High Septon spoke in an imperious tone.

Jon just looked at him, shocked. A forced conversion?

"The Faith was there for you Your Grace as were the Seven gods in your hour of need. And the Seven now expects the same of you." the High Septon told him.

"There should be no tolerance for false gods and false religions. We cannot as a country abide by them. The Old gods or the Drowned gods or the Lord of Light...All false! All heresy..."

"And if they don't embrace the True Faith and choose to remain as they are?" Jon asked the High Septon.

"Then they should be punished as most heretics should be... Death by fire..." The High Septon said with an eerie smile.

"Only death by fire shall purify their souls Your Grace. Just as it purified yours when you survived the dragon flames..."

The High Septon stared at Jon. "You think it was coincidence you lived?" He asked Jon who had kept quiet.

"No Your Grace..." The High Septon shook his head vehemently. "It was the Seven who saved you."

"And now as the Paramount Defender of the Faith, you must serve it Your Grace. It is your duty, your responsibility. You need to go on a crusade for the Faith and bring all the people in Your Grace. By force if necessary." The High Septon said harshly and Jon stared at him.

"If you allow such heresy to grow untended, it will spread like a cancerous disease!" The High Septon preached.

"I think Your Holiness, with all due respect, I cannot abide by what you propose." Jon spoke indignantly and stood up and that shocked the High Septon who glowered at the King.

"Neither of us has any right to question one's Faith and beliefs or impose another to their own beliefs..." Jon said to the powerful Septon, not caring for courtesies. "They are no false gods or false religions, merely a choice of any individual."

"Yes...I've heard of your rather radical views..." The High Septon said condescendingly, his eyes narrowing at Jon.

"But remember Your Grace, you serve the Faith, need I remind you of your duty to defend the Faith at all costs?" the High Septon said as Jon turned his back and started to walk away.

"No. Your Holiness. I serve the people." Jon said as he walked out of the room, his King's guard surrounding him.

* * *

Jon was standing on the fields right outside Red Keep that afternoon. He had set the dragons free from their dragonpits a week ago and they had been flying all around the country, all eight of them. The smaller dragons were not yet fully grown but after two years in Red Keep but they were still bigger than a horse or two. They hadn't caused much problems and Jon was grateful for that. The dragons would swoop down to catch a sheep or a cow in the countryside but the Crown will recompense the loss to the farmers. The developments in Flea Bottom had been almost completed after two years and the Smallfolk had proper adequate housing and King's Landing was more organized and neat. The Royal Treasury was full. There was enough food for the people as crop yields were improving and the nobles seemed content and not up in arms as before or so, Jon had initially thought.

Of course there were complaints from the various Houses and the bickering and infighting that could not be prevented. House Lannister and Tyrell seemed to be having a cartel of their own not only in the trading ports in the Westerlands and The Reach, but many parts of the Seven Kingdoms. And their wealth had been growing, most especially the Lannisters much to the dismay of the other Houses. The southern Houses wanted the North to be taxed the same. The Martells of Dorne, claimed that their Targaryen heritage and ancestry that could be traced from the first Daenerys were still as important and demanded certain privileges. The Martells asked for Crown funds to build their irrigation well and farming systems in their dry arid lands. They also wanted the Crown Prince Eddy to be betrothed to one of their princesses, which Jon and Dany were reluctant to agree and decided not to say anything.

The off shoot Baratheons were annoyed that House Tyrell was calling the shots in the Stormlands. Since Stannis Baratheon had been 'exiled' to Volantis, his wife, Margaery and her powerful family had been the ones ruling Storm's End that even the banners in Storm's End were that of the golden rose and not the mighty black Stag. The Tyrells brought to the Stormlands, their love for culture and aesthetics. Masquerade balls, pleasure boats and sculpting of hedge rows and topiaries. Rose bushes were planted in Storm's End at Lady Margaery's insistence. That riled up the spirited, brawny, bellicose Baratheons to have their much treasured ancestral seat being so feminized.

And then there were the Tullys, who could forget the quirky, indecisive Tullys of the Riverlands, who were neither here nor there, led by their Lord, Edmure Tully, once ridiculed by many Lords to be a lackwit during the war. Jon however knew that Edmure was a kind, good hearted Lord and one of the very few who truly cared about the Smallfolk in his lands. The Tullys had wanted parts of the Iron Islands which did not make sense to Jon, since the Iron isles weren't even close to their territories, seeing that it was annexed off the coast of the Westerlands. The Iron Islands had no natural resources and were small in size and the waters around them were stormy and choppy. It wasn't worth having but Edmure Tully came with a petition that the people in the Riverlands had suffered under the Ironborn for centuries and they should get reparations.

Jaime Lannister had laughed in his usual smugness and said in Parliament that if the Tullys wanted reparations for past actions of long dead kings then everyone in all Seven Kingdoms would be asking for them too. That of course angered Edmure Tully who still hadn't truly forgiven the Lannisters, most especially Jaime for taking him prisoner during the War. The noble Houses came to the King with their endless petitions and requests but Tyrion had told His Grace not to get himself entangled with the infighting and House politics and to just stay out of it.

"_Let them sort it out themselves..." _Tyrion had said dismissively. The King did just that, choosing to focus his energies into things that really mattered to him. The welfare of the people, his family and his time alone. And so Parliament became an endless shouting match, with the nobles and Lords squabbling amongst themselves. Sometimes fists were used, in which Tyrion had to call the City Watch to break the scuffles apart. It was quite a spectacle that the citizens of King's Landing would often come by and watch it played out in Parliament themselves. Some even placing bets on which Lords will win in the fistfights.

Jon felt the wind blowing through him while he stood on the grassy bluff that was just outside the Capital. He was having his usual rides in the afternoon where Jon would be out of the city riding his large warhorse, a gift from his brother in law, Willas Tyrell. It was a beautiful creature. A black Thoroughbred stallion that Willas had reared himself and claimed that it was a creature fit for a King. Jon liked the stallion and named him _Crow_. Willas also presented a beautiful white mare to the Queen that she named _Silver Star_ in honour of her long dead horse Silver that died in the Red Waste. Ghost was with Jon that afternoon on the bluff. Jon smiled as his beloved direwolf ran back to him, a stick in his mouth that Ghost had caught. Ghost opened his mouth and the stick fell to the ground.

"You found it did you?" Jon said and scratched Ghost's head, patting it. Jon then smiled at his direwolf.

"So you're a father now Ghost? How does it feel?" Jon asked Ghost.

The direwolf only drooled and licked Jon's fingers. Jon laughed and scratched Ghost's head. Nymeria, Arya's direwolf had given birth to a litter of four pups. Two of them white as snow and looked like their father. It was a happy occasion for the Starks in Red Keep. Dany had even brought the twins to see the puppies and the Crown Prince wanted one for himself. Eddy wanted a snowy white one because his Papa had a white direwolf too. Jon took the stick and threw it again, letting Ghost ran after it. He sighed seeing the entire city below from where he was standing. It was a stunning sight. Jon felt the wind blowing through him and he closed his eyes. _Finally peace..._

"Your Grace..."

Jon groaned to himself when he heard it. It was Varys' voice. So much for peace and quiet and some time to himself. He turned and saw Lord Varys walking towards him. Rushing towards the King. Varys had taken one of the carriages from Red Keep had it driven up the cliffs away from the city, where he knew the King would be on his afternoon rides.

"What is it Lord Varys?" Jon asked the Master of Whisperer.

"The High Septon has called his banners Your Grace." Lord Varys informed Jon, huffing for breath as he said that. Jon stared at Varys, stunned. He never expected that.

"The Faith Militants were called to arms just yesterday Your Grace. A crusade to rid of apostates and non believers from all Seven Kingdoms as decreed by the High Septon..." Varys explained.

"No..." Jon uttered and groaned.

He never thought the head priest would go all out. The incident with the High Septon at the Great Sept months ago left a bad taste in his mouth. He had complained to Dany who grew furious by the head priest's audacity. But Jon had calmed her down.

"It's not only that Your Grace." Varys spoke.

"The High Septon told his clergy to boycott Parliament and has revoked your title as Defender of the Faith. Anyone who stands between the Faith Militants and their mission at hand would be declared enemies of the Holy Seven and be excommunicated immediately."

* * *

There were news spread of panic and violence that had stirred up in the townships and countryside. Septons were preaching against heresy and demanding unquestionable conformity to the True Faith of the Seven in the Septs. The soldiers of the Faith Militant, the _Warrior's Sons_ had pulled in the Smallfolk and several Lords to join them in their cause. The Warrior's Sons had comprised of former knights whose true allegiance now lied with the Faith. Apart from the Warrior's Sons, there was also the Poor Fellows. The _Poor Fellows_ were the Sept's guerrilla forces made out of devout commoners and even included women in their Order.

The Warrior's Sons were a formidable order that had grown in strength since the former queen regent Cersei Lannister had reinstated the Faith Militants. Several pious lords and nobles had even gifted tracts of land and wealth to the Order in hopes of getting heavenly blessings and rewards. The situation had gotten so vitriolic and violent that a lynch mob of peasants and Septons hung an entire family, accused as nonbelievers in Duskendale. The Lords there stood by and did nothing not wanting to anger the Septs. Similar incidents were reported occurring in Dorne, the city of Old Town in the Reach where the famous Starry Sept, once a stronghold of the Faith was. Things were much worse than anyone expected, even the Small Council was shocked by the events that had occurred. The religious persecution that was spreading like wildfire in Westeros supported by Smallfolk and the noble Houses alike.

"You made your bed with the High Septon Your Grace, I fear now you will have to sleep in it..." Tyrion said to Jon with a sigh.

"It is never wise to mix Faith and politics..." Tyrion spoke and looked at the King who was staying silent.

Jon was at a loss. He did not know what to do. The guilt that wrecked through his entire being when he thought of the innocent people killed by the lynch mob. He had wanted the Sept's support and now Jon had to pay the price when he refused to do what the High Septon wanted him to. Blood of innocents were in his hands. He couldn't just send the dragons and rain fire on the people. It wasn't an enemy army of invaders. It was a crisis of Faith, something unseen, invisible and yet more powerful. A person's religious belief and adherence to it is something hard for anyone to comprehend. It is not easy to combat or change or even improve.

"We can just kill him..." Dany said with a frown. "Order the High Septon's death immediately..." She said to Ser Jorah, the Master of Laws and Chief Justice.

"It won't work _Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah said and looked at the Queen. Ser Jorah shook his head.

"The High Septon is a powerful figure in Westeros. If you kill him, you'll make a holy martyr out of him and all the devout will rise in arms against you, _Khaleesi_ and the King and that includes the Lords and nobles. There will be upheavals..." Ser Jorah warned.

"And if they do raise arms. They should be punished for treason and be crushed." Dany spoke sharply.

"I'm with You Your Grace." Jaime spoke, a smirk on his face, rearing to fight. "I'll call the banners immediately."

"We cannot kill innocent people Dany." Jon said to his wife.

"They are not innocent if they rise against us!" Dany screamed and everyone present just looked at the Queen. Her infamous dragon temper had reared up.

"You must try to assuage the High Septon Your Grace," Ser Jorah spoke to the King after a while. "Make peace with His Holiness."

Jon shook his head. "The High Septon wants a holy crusade. Mass conversion of everyone into the Faith or be burned for heresy. I cannot do that!"

"The entire realm is in disarray because you couldn't do what was necessary." Dany said, looking at Jon. The tone in her voice and the piercing look in Dany's violet eyes were accusatory. Jon didn't like it.

"You were weak Jon!" Dany scolded him.

Everyone in the room stood there silent as the Queen chastised the King harshly and in front of her ministers and advisors. Arya was too surprised to say anything and Varys tightened his lips afraid he might make a squeak and get his head cut off. Jaime Lannister stopped smirking and stood still and so did Ser Jorah.

"You should have just executed Stannis Baratheon, even Ser Loras and all the other nobles when they rose against us in Parliament. None of this would have happened if you did that." Dany said, her eyes glaring at Jon.

"Now everything we have worked so hard for, everything I fought for all my life, blown to the wind because you couldn't do the right thing!"

"I am not weak!" Jon shouted back at Dany, not caring that there were other people in the room. "I did what I thought was the right thing to do at the time!" Jon cried. "What was honourable!"

"Honour won't save the kingdoms Jon...When will you ever learn?" Dany said coldly and gave a disappointed sigh.

She started to walk away. Jaime and Ser Jorah followed her and then Tyrion and Varys as well, leaving Jon and his sister Arya in the room. Arya gave Jon a sympathetic smile and patted his shoulder.

"It'll be alright Jon..." Arya said softly. She didn't leave her brother's side that afternoon.

* * *

Dany had decided to take matters into her hands in the weeks and months that followed. The Queen quelled the _Second Faith Militant Uprising _as Tyrion Lannister had dubbed it with all the might of the Crown Forces. The Queen ordered the High Septon's death and the high ranking bishops in the _Most Devout_. Tyrion had advised her to do it in the dark cloak of night and so the Septons were kidnapped while they were sleeping and all were hung. Their heads decapitated and placed on the walls of Red Keep for treason against the Crown. She brought the Crown Prince Eddy on the bridge walkway to see the heads, telling her son that as a Dragon, no rebellions should go unpunished and the Septons deserved their fates. The little boy stared at the severed heads and nodded.

_Daenerys the Unburnt_ became _Daenerys the Ruthless_ as the Sept secretly called and vilified her. The two Hands, Arya and Tyrion were surprised by the Queen's swift punishment of the Septons. Tyrion however understood the Queen's reasons despite how cruel it may seem. She had to put a stop to all the madness that was happening throughout the country. People being pulled out of their homes and hanged or burnt as heretics at the High Septon's orders. The innocent lives that were at stake. The Queen sent the Crown Forces to crush the Warrior's Sons and the Poor Fellows. Many had died and the Orders were made to surrender to her.

The Lannister bannermen joined the Crown Forces in combating the Faith Militants at the Lord of Casterly Rock, Jaime Lannister's command. They sang the '_Rains of Castamere'_ after the defeating the Warrior's Sons, a throw back to when the Great Tywin crushed and eliminated the Houses of Tarbeck and Rayne when they defied him. House Lannister grew in prestige for helping the Queen. Lord Jaime was given a promotion as Prime Master and all the lands and gold, those that were confiscated from the various Septs. As Prime Master, he essentially controlled Parliament as well as much of the Small Council. Even the Hands had to report to Jaime. Tyrion was annoyed by that, knowing full well that his narcissistic older brother's head and thus ego, will only get even bigger as his status rose. The Queen later spoke to her closest advisors without the King present on reforms for the Septs.

"There is movement in Essos _Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah spoke. "A new reformation of the Sept and the Faith of the Seven among certain members of the clergy."

"What sort of reformation?" The Queen asked.

"A reformation where the High Septon is not necessarily the Seven's representative on Earth...but perhaps someone else. Someone that could have a higher authority than that the High Septon even."

"We still have a problem in the Free Cities Your Grace..." Varys said interrupting Ser Jorah and looked at the Queen and the other core members of the Small Council.

"My birds informed me that the people have heard wind of the High Septon's execution. They are not happy. One of the Most Devout that escaped has proclaimed himself the new High Septon and is living in Andalos right now. He claims that you have no divine authority and that you and the King should be excommunicated from the Faith."

The Queen gave a frown and looked at the Master of Whisperer. "Send some assassins to take him out...We don't need another religious uprising simmering in the East..."

"We need a new High Septon then to replace the old one." Tyrion said.

The Queen pondered to herself and then looked at Ser Jorah. "Tell me more of this reformation Ser Jorah..."

Ser Jorah looked at the Queen and his four colleagues. He seemed unsure for a while. He breathed out before continuing. "I don't know all there is to know about the Reformists _Khaleesi_. But there have been murmurings that had been kept secret for decades. Some of the clergy believed that the Seven should in actual fact be One. A monotheistic belief system of One instead of Seven gods."

"It won't work!" Jaime spoke scathingly, his eyes narrowed at Ser Jorah. "Everyone worshipped the Seven gods, one way or the other."

"Yes." Ser Jorah stressed. "But the Seven are in actual fact seven aspects of One..." He then looked at the Queen. "One god with Seven parts of Him. Like One realm made out of seven kingdoms and that's what the Reformists argue."

"If we made reforms in the Septs, by bringing in the reformist clergy you can make sure the new High Septon answers to you _Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah spoke.

"There would not be any such uprisings in the future if the one who sits on the Iron Throne is the new Supreme Head of the Faith as well."

The Queen was thinking hard about it. She looked at her Hand, Tyrion and wondered what he thought of such reforms.

"Well...that's a mouthful," Tyrion quipped as he looked around the large round table that seemed rather empty with only six people present. "The Queen of the Andals, and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm and Supreme Head of the Faith?"

* * *

Jon was by himself that afternoon standing on the terrace outside his palace office. He refused to have anything to do with what was happening in court and in the Small Council. Arya had regularly updated him on the reports of what was happening in the Small Council and the _Smaller Council_ as Arya had called it, which consisted of the closest five advisors to the Queen. Her two Hands, Ser Jorah who was made Deputy Prime Master, the Prime Master Lord Jaime and Varys.

There were strains in his marriage that caused both of them to sleep in separate chambers for months. Dany had disparaged him in front of the Smaller Council and Jon was hurt by it. In fact he was more than just hurt, he felt disrespected by his own wife in front of others. Jon chose to brood to himself and focussed on the construction projects in Capital and spending time with the children.

"Papa!"

He smiled hearing his daughter calling him. Aerysa was the Light of his life now. The apple of his eye. Jon turned around and Aerysa ran towards him. He carried her up in his arms and kissed both her cheeks. "Now how are you today my princess?" Jon asked her.

"Are you angry with _Issa_?" Aerysa asked him.

"No..." Jon smiled at her and shook his head. "I'm just angry at myself." Jon sighed. He looked out seeing the harbour and the boats. He didn't want his children to be affected by whatever strain that was in his marriage.

"Why is that?" Aerysa asked curiously.

"Because I made a wrong judgement. I thought I should do the right thing and acted with Honour...and people died because of it." Jon said sadly.

"What does that mean Papa?" Aerysa asked. "Honour?"

"It means always doing what is right no matter what people say..." Jon looked at his daughter and smiled at her.

"You must always remember that..." Jon said, tilting her little chin up and looked into Aerysa's violet eyes. She nodded.

"We are Starks. Our forefathers came from Winterfell in the North...We are wolves and we must always act with honour..." Jon told her, his voice grew serious even though he was addressing a child who was barely six.

"No matter what Aerysa. Even if it's hard, even if you might be killed or harmed. You must always act with honour."

"But _Issa_ says I'm a dragon like her..." Aerysa told him.

"Well..." Jon shrugged. "_Issa's_ right." He smiled at Aerysa. "You're a dragon too."

"Aerysa..."

Jon turned around hearing her voice. It was his wife, finally coming into his chambers. Dany stood there watching him. For a moment he wanted to just pull her in his arms and hugged her. But the months had passed and much has happened. Jon wondered if he could resolve whatever damages that had happened between them. He felt his honour being slighted when Dany had chastised him as if he was a boy and in front of others. Dany looked at him back. Her beautiful pale face, a glacial mask. She did not smile. Jon had missed seeing her smile.

"Come here now...it's time for your lessons..."

"No..." Aerysa spoke and shook her head stubbornly. "I want to stay with Papa..."

"Do not argue with me. Do you understand me?" Dany said to her daughter sharply. _"You get here this instance Young Lady...I had to leave an important meeting just to look for you."_

Dany had switched to High Valyrian and scolded her daughter. _"You will do as I command Aerysa. I am your mother and Queen."_

"_I don't want to!" _Aerysa shouted in High Valyrian. She looked at her father, switching back to the Westrosi common tongue. "I don't want to have my lessons Papa. Please..."

"_I am not having this with you again Aerysa! Not today!"_

Dany then crossed her arms and looked at the Queen's guards next to her.

"Take the princess now! Kicking and screaming if you have to..." Dany ordered and the guards marched and took Aerysa away. She was crying but Jon kissed her forehead and hugged her again.

"It's going to be alright. It's just a few hours... That's all. I'll come by and see you later." He told her.

"Promise?" Aerysa asked and Jon nodded, wiping the tears on her pink cheeks. The princess was taken by the guards and brought to the meister and her Septa for her lessons.

"You're too harsh with her..." Jon said as he stared out seeing the waters when it was only the two of them left on the terrace. He didn't think he could look at his wife straight in the face. Especially when she was looking all flawlessly beautiful.

"One of us has to be." Dany said coldly. "You spoil her too much. You indulge in her. She will soon be sent away to have her own household and you won't always be there. She needs to learn to be independent and strong."

Jon grew quiet his eyes just looking out. Dany gave a groan seeing he was not even looking at her.

"Is this how it is now? You won't even look at me when we speak. Do I have to grovel and beg on hands and knees for my husband back?" She said as she stared at him.

"No one is asking you to beg..." Jon said absently, eyes still staring at the harbour. "You are Queen, do as you wish Your Grace..."

"You can be cold as ice if you want to Jon..." Dany said. She shook her head and walked away.

* * *

The reformation process had been messy and not to mention bloody. The Queen had brought in clerics and clergymen from Essos, the so called _Reformist_ sect of the Faith. They brought their gospels and prayer books with them and she had been studiously reading and studying them. The Queen then made one of the Reformist Septons the new High Septon which had caused a massive outcry throughout the Seven Kingdoms. There were several smaller uprisings made by the Septons. One famous uprising was held in Old Town in front of the _Starry Sept_, where one bold Septon, a member from the _Poor Fellows_ stood up and denounced the Crown publicly in the town's square, calling them infidels and heretics. The Septon claimed that Queen who came from a union of incest was not a legitimate true Queen and the King was a bastard son and therefore both were unfit to wear the crown. He also claimed that the Reformists were nonbelievers themselves and whoever who chose them would be cursed by the Seven gods.

The Queen ordered the Septon's head immediately and that of his followers. They were placed on pikes that lined the streets outside the _Starry Sept_. It was quite a long line of decapitated heads that when the House Tyrell came by, led by the Lord of Highgarden, he could not believe his eyes when he went there with his wife, Sansa. The blood that streamed the streets of Old Town made Lord Willas shed tears in private. Lord Willas sent a raven to his younger brother Ser Loras, urging him back to Highgarden fearing for Loras' safety in the Capital.

Willas Tyrell then took an even bolder step by writing to the Queen saying that he could not punish the Septons and their followers in The Reach any longer, even if they spoke out against the Crown. Willas couldn't behead anyone for their beliefs, and he was too much a devout man of the Faith to execute any Septon. Hearing that angered the Queen who sent another note by raven, a Royal Order for Lord Willas to comply or face the consequences. Sansa, fearing for reprisals that the Queen might make against her husband had written to Arya urgently pleading her to speak to the Queen and to their brother, the King who had been absent from court.

"This can't go on Jon..." Arya told her brother. It had been months since he and the Queen shared a bedchamber. Jon wasn't even present in court, refusing to have any part in whatever reformation of the Septs.

"You need to mend whatever broken ties with the Queen. She is your wife..." Arya said. "The people need to see their monarchs together. You need to tell her to stop. Stop whatever she's doing."

"I will not bend." Jon said heatedly and stared at his sister. "She has not apologized and she expects me to go to her? I am a man. I have my pride..."

"Is pride more important than love?" Arya asked.

"Honour is more important." Jon said. "I gave up my honour for Love and looked what it did...Is Love really worth the sacrifice?" Jon asked Arya back again.

"Rhaegar loved my mother and thousands died for it. Robb loved Talisa and they cut off his head. The North lost the war and many including our family suffered. And now hundreds are dead because of me. Because I love the Queen, that even though being with her wasn't right, I still stayed. Tell me now, is Love really worth it?" Jon spoke and Arya shook her head hearing the despondency in her brother's voice.

"You're just wounded by what she had said Jon. You must admit there is some truth in it...Sometimes one must do the dishonourable for the good of many..."

"That is not what I want my children to learn." Jon said and scowled.

"They must know what it is to have honour and integrity. To do what is right. Always, regardless what others think and say. Father taught us that Arya."

"And he died Jon..." Arya said sadly. "Father told the truth and remained honourable. He died for it and none of us were left any better without him."

* * *

The strain in the royal marriage was evident to all in the palace. Everyone in Red Keep just bowed their heads and kept quiet. The servants would whisper and murmur about it but Varys had done a good job as Master of Whisperer to ensure that there would be no leaks. Talisa Stark was with the children that evening when she heard the soft sobs. She walked down the gilded halls of the Queen's chambers and found Her Grace crying to herself burying her face in the plush pillows. Seeing the Queen so depressed made the widow Stark rushed to her. Talisa had cared for the Queen and loved her like she would her own sister.

"Your Grace..." Talisa called Dany. The Queen immediately sat up and wiped her tears away.

"Are you alright?" Talisa asked her, her doe brown eyes shone with concern. Dany looked at her and nodded.

"I'm fine Lady Stark..." Dany said and straightened herself. "Are the children back?" She asked. Her tone had gotten rigid.

Talisa gave a kind smile. "Yes I brought them from the courtyard Your Grace. They were riding the miniature ponies that the Martells had gifted to them and enjoyed it very much..."

"That's good..." Dany said and smiled. Talisa was again stunned when tears started pouring from the Queen's eyes.

"Your Grace..." Talisa spoke as her eyes grew wide with worry.

"Oh..." Dany sobbed terribly. She couldn't control her emotions any longer. She was languishing without Jon by her side. The months of his cold and distant treatment. The look of resentment that she saw everytime she looked in his eyes.

"I am Queen. I am not supposed to cry! I'm not supposed to be weak! I do not have a gentle heart!" She cried and Talisa looked at her.

"I conquered lands, I freed slaves. I am Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, blood of Old Valyria. They fear me. My enemies...and now I'm crying like a heartbroken girl. I'm crying because my husband hates the sight of me!"

"He hates me...I know it. I saw the look in his eyes. It's dark and cold like winter. Jon hates me...He won't even look at me."

Talisa hugged the Queen and gently patted her back, letting Dany cry in her arms. "No. He doesn't hate you Your Grace. The King loves you so much..."

"He thinks I'm a murderer..." Dany cried. "I see it in his eyes. He doesn't want to be near me. He doesn't want touch me. He doesn't love me anymore."

"He's a man Your Grace. He just needs time to lick his wounds..." Talisa said softly and Dany looked at her.

"Lady Arya talked to him, and he still won't budge. I'm losing him aren't I?" Dany asked as her violet eyes darted frantically. "I'm not even losing him to some woman...but to his darned pride and honour."

"Now Aerysa hates me too..." Dany said and wiped the tears. "She won't listen to me and wanders off to find her father whenever she can."

"He loves you Your Grace. Just give him time." Talisa said.

"And Aerysa doesn't listen to anyone. She's too much of a she-wolf like her aunt Arya..." Talisa continued with a soft laugh and that made Dany laughed too.

"What should I do?" Dany asked Talisa. "I don't want to lose him..."

"If he doesn't go to you...Go to him. You love him more than anything Your Grace." Talisa spoke softly.

"You're right Lady Stark. I love him more than even my own damned pride." Dany said wistfully.

* * *

Jon came into his bedchamber that night and she was there waiting for him, dressed in her sheer nightgown. He was surprised by her presence. He never expected Dany to come to his bedchambers.

"What are you doing here?" Jon asked her coldly.

"I am your wife." Dany replied straight-faced and just looked at him undaunted. "A wife's duty is to be with her husband."

"You can leave..." Jon groaned and shook his head. "I don't need you to fulfil any wifely duties...You are Queen. Go do as you want..."

"Don't be silly." Dany frowned. "I will sleep next you. We have to be in the same bed. I don't want the courtiers to keep gossiping. It has been months."

Jon only kept quiet and got into bed. He moved away from her, his back facing hers at the other end of the bed and snuggled deep under the covers. Jon blew the candle out and closed his eyes.

"Jon..." Dany called him in the dark. He shut his eyes thought, pretending to be asleep.

"Jon..." She called him again. Dany crept closer and started touching his back.

"Leave me be Dany..." Jon growled softly. "It's late and I want to sleep..."

"Let's make another child again..." Dany said and gently massage his neck and scalp. "I want another child."

"I'm tired Dany..." Jon told her, moving away from her touch.

"How can you be so cold to me Jon?" Dany asked him softly. "You told me we'll always be together. Forever you said and now you've forsaken me?"

"I want to be left alone Dany. Do you not get that?" Jon said and immediately got up.

He was annoyed and stared at his wife, shocked she was already naked. The lamp next to Dany hadn't been extinguished and he could see the glorious play of lights on her soft, perfect naked skin. Jon didn't even realize she had taken her clothes off.

"I won't be seduced." Jon said and frowned at her. He tried not to look at her body.

"You promised me you will never leave, no matter what happens..." Dany said and looked at him.

"Well I'm here aren't I?" Jon said and crossed his arms. He then took the covers and threw it at Dany.

"Cover yourself...You're a Queen not a..." Jon said and shook his head. He managed to catch his tongue just in time before regretting any words being said out loud. "You're a Queen Dany."

"Do you still love me?" Dany questioned him and he was quiet for a while. She sat there, covering her nakedness with the duvet.

"Of course I do..." He finally spoke. "You know I do..." Jon said as his dark eyes stared at hers.

"I never stopped loving you! Even when I'm angry and humiliated and belittled in front of the Small Council. I still loved you!" He cried in anger.

"Even when I hated what you did, I still loved you! Even after everything that happened, I still love you Dany! I have always loved you. That never changes!"

"Then what has changed Jon!" Dany cried. "Why are we not even speaking to each other? Why won't you even look at me anymore? Why are we fighting all the time?"

"I don't know..." Jon uttered as he sat down on the chair and just stared. "I really don't know."

"I want us back..." Dany said as she walked to him and touched his face. "I want my husband back. I want what we had. What we used to have..."

"I don't know if it will ever be the same anymore..." Jon said sadly.

He thought of all that had happened the past months. The religious uprisings and the bloodshed. Secretly, Jon had blamed himself for it. He tried to resolve things in Parliament by bringing the Sept on his side. The entire thing backfired and led to such a horrendous blunder with lives and blood of innocents. Maybe Dany was right. He was weak and she would be better off without him.

"We must try..." Dany spoke and kissed his lips and he let her. Jon didn't know why but he relented. He sat there, still as a statue while she kissed him.

"We must fall in love again...Be who we were...Nothing should ever get between us." She said.

Dany then realized Jon wasn't kissing her back and she pulled away. She looked at him, seeing his dark, brooding eyes. The melancholy on his face. How sad and distant he looked like a broken man, a reflection of her own self when she stared into his dark eyes.

"I won't leave you. I made a promise. So you have to be the one to let me go Dany..." Jon spoke quietly, looking right at her. "I will have no part in this."

"After everything that we've been through Jon?" Dany croaked. Her voice had turned soft. The tears falling from her eyes. She could not believe his words.

"I love you..." She told him, her tears continue to fall.

"I know Dany." Jon sighed sadly.

"I love you too. I always will...But maybe that's not enough. Maybe love isn't enough to keep us together."

Jon just sat there on the chair watching while his wife wept herself to sleep that night.

* * *

When the _Spider_, Varys heard the reports from his little _birds_ the following morning, he sighed sadly to himself as he thought of the Royal couple. They were young and too naive he felt. They thought Love was what could make them better and stronger. They thought they were invincible. That anything was possible as long as they had each other. It was romantic of course but there were so many outside forces beyond anyone's control or hindsight. Varys then informed his dear friend and colleague Lord Tyrion of course. Both of them were walking in the gardens of the palace.

"So what happens now?" Tyrion asked Varys.

"The King wants to go back up North. He wants to bring his daughters with him...The Crown Prince will have to stay here. He is the heir." Varys replied.

"Her Grace, the Queen is too broken hearted to say anything or to decide...There were talks, my birds told me, among your brother and Ser Jorah that the King should abdicate immediately if he were to leave." Varys continued.

"So they would be separated then?' Tyrion asked. He gave a small frown as he pondered. It was obvious Tyrion wasn't pleased by the news. With the religious upheavals happening in the Kingdoms, the last thing needed was for the monarchs to be separated.

"I don't know..." Varys spoke and sighed. "Marriages are never easy...and Royal marriages even worse."

Tyrion stopped walking and gave Varys an odd look. "You were never married Lord Varys...How would you know?"

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't know how difficult it is. One does not need to be burnt to know that the fire is hot and dangerous." Varys spoke with a frown.

Tyrion groaned loudly. "They were too different to begin with. One Ice, the other Fire. This is what happens when you combine the two elements, what's left is a lake of tears."

"Perhaps you can speak with the King Lord Tyrion?" Varys suggested and looked at his friend. "Knock some sense into His Grace's hard head and his hardened, cold heart."

"He doesn't even listen to Lady Arya, and she's his sister. Why would he listen to me?" Tyrion grumbled.

"Because you care for the young man. And no matter what might be said about you, Tyrion Lannister, like me, you care for the country and the realm above all else. And the realm needs the King, just as the Queen needs him..." Varys spoke in all seriousness.

"And it is your duty Lord Tyrion. You are His Grace's Hand. The King dreams, the Hand builds. The King eats, the Hand shits. The King is being a stubborn oaf, the Hand kicks his arse..."

"And the Hand would risk getting his head cut off in the process?" Tyrion retorted.

Varys gave a small shrug. "If it happens, Lord Tyrion. You will be remembered as a martyr..."

Tyrion heaved and looked at Varys. "I'll see what I can do but I'm no miracle worker..."

Varys shook his head in disagreement before speaking his mind, "Without you Lord Tyrion. The city would have suffered certain defeat when _Scowling Stannis_ and his forces attacked. I'd say you're the right miracle worker for the task at hand."

Varys sighed as he looked at the waters of Blackwater Bay that shimmered in the setting sunlight. "If anyone can bring them together again, it would be you..."


	20. Chapter 20 Miles from where you are

_Note: Thanks for sticking with the fanfic despite the upheavals and dramatic events that transpired. And YES there are bound to be certain discrepancies from the book series. Some a bit jarring. Again I apologize for them. Honestly, I'm sick of waiting ad infinitum and decided to pen my own version of how Jon and Dany would meet and how their story would begin and end since I'm shamelessly such a big Shipper. So this is just my version of the story...it's obviously flawed and bound to have imperfections and be a bit or a lot cheesy depending on your tolerance for cheesy romances. That being said, I really appreciate your reviews, reading my fic, following it and even making it one of your favourites. So Thanks for waiting so long for the update. Hehehe. Here's 2 chapters back to back. :)  
_

* * *

_"__I'm miles from where you are...I lay down on the cold ground. And I, I pray that something picks me up... And sets me down in your warm arms..." ~ Snow Patrol_

Chapter Twenty.

_King's Landing._

Tyrion Lannister came to see the King in his official chambers, despite His Grace's order for privacy. The Hand barged into the room, uninvited and unexpected. The King's Guards tried to stop him but his good friend, Bronn was there to hold them off. The guards later relented when Tyrion mentioned that it was matter of State Security and therefore was of Paramount importance.

"Still brooding in your fortress of solitude I see..." Tyrion quipped as he walked in.

Jon turned and groaned seeing his Hand. He did not appreciate Tyrion Lannister's intrusion. The Hand was trespassing in what was Jon's private time. The King had been brooding to himself a lot lately. He would spent hours in his official chambers, locked in with his direwolf as company and everyone knew that he did not want to be disturbed.

"I gave an order Lord Tyrion. To be left alone..." Jon grumbled. He gritted his teeth and shot his Hand an annoyed glare. Tyrion just continued walking in without a care in the world.

"You're getting too old to be moping around like a petulant child..." Tyrion commented wryly.

"And you're getting too familiar and too bold Hand..." Jon said sharply. He then looked away, his dark eyes staring out the window.

"You think because the Queen called you out and humiliated you, somehow you lost your honour and you want to pack up and leave..." Tyrion said.

"I do not need this lecture!" Jon yelled out.

"This is exactly what you need!" Tyrion shouted at him back.

"Please leave Lord Tyrion before I call the guards!" Jon cried.

"And what?" Tyrion asked him in a rather bold stance. "You're gonna cut my head off? Go ahead."

Jon grew quiet and crossed his arms. He didn't know why he allowed his Hand to speak to him in that manner but something inside Jon told him to stand still and listen and not to react.

"Now listen to me Jon Snow..." Tyrion told him, his green eyes stared right into Jon who glared at him.

"Yes I'm calling you by your Bastard's name because you're acting like one..." Tyrion said coldly. The Hand then shook his head before continuing his long tirade.

"_Oh_ poor orphan Jon...The little boy abandoned when his parents died." Tyrion said, feigning a sad tone.

"That his uncle Ned had to claim as his bastard son and raised as an outsider in Winterfell...You think because you suffered some slight, you know what real suffering is..."

"You do not know what I have been through!" Jon shouted, growing angrier by the moment. "You have no inkling of it."

"If I had a gold dragon for every time I hear that, I would be rich." Tyrion sighed. He then pondered aloud. "Oh wait...I already am."

"What you've been through is nothing." Tyrion said to Jon. "A huge war was fought just so you could exist! Thousands died, thousands suffered. Your father, Prince Rhaegar among them, and your mother died so that you can live...don't you think you owe them something?"

"I did not ask to be born! I did not ask for any of this!" Jon said and shook his head. "I didn't even want to be King!"

"Stop playing the victim Your Grace. You're not that Bastard anymore! You are King! Own that right! You have a responsibility! You can't just give up and scurry up North like a Coward!" Tyrion nagged and looked at Jon closely.

"Or is that what you really are inside?" Tyrion asked him. "Are you a coward Jon?"

Jon stared at Tyrion. "I am not a coward." He said hotly.

"Then do not do the cowardly thing." Tyrion told him. Jon only kept silent and stared out the window. He wasn't sure what he was going to do.

* * *

Dany watched from the window as her husband left, riding on his black stallion. A battalion of King's guards accompanying him. Several carriages followed behind. She didn't cry. Not one drop of tear. She wasn't going to shed another anymore. She had let him go and off he went, riding away from her. It would be for the best. That was what Dany reassured herself. They needed the time apart. Then maybe it would all be alright. She couldn't bear to see Jon looking at her with those dark judging eyes of his.

_Three mounts must you ride, one to bed and one to dread and one to love...three treasons will you know, once for blood and once for gold and once for love..._

The prophecy from the House of Undying that was whispered by the wispy dark shadows was ringing in her head again. Jon was leaving her and he took Eddy with him. Dany shook her head. She didn't believe it, no treason was committed. Jon would never do so. He could never. He just needed some time. That was all. That was what Jon had said when he came to her, asking for her consent to go. Dany allowed him to with the heaviest of hearts. She suddenly felt so alone without him by her side.

"_Issa_..."

Dany turned around and there was Aerysa calling her. She smiled at her daughter. The Queen then realized that she was wrong, she wasn't alone. She had her daughters with her. She had her dragons. She was in the city founded by her ancestors and she had the Iron Throne.

"_I can't sleep," _The little princess said in High Valyrian.

"_Come here..."_ Dany called her and Aerysa rushed to her.

Dany hugged her daughter close and brought Aerysa to her bed, where Lyanna was already sleeping. She held Aerysa close and started singing songs of Old Valyria.

"_When are Papa and Eddy coming back?"_ Aerysa asked as she yawned.

"_Soon I hope,"_ Dany smiled her elder daughter.

Aerysa then looked at her mother and kissed Dany's cheek, as though sensing that despite the smile her mother wore and the brave, fearless front she had put up, her mother was sad.

"Tell me the story about the boy and his wolf _Issa_..." Aerysa said to her mother in the common tongue.

Dany shook her head. "No. I'm going to tell you a story about the girl and her dragons..."

"Why?" Aerysa asked, looking at her mother, her violet eyes grew and curious.

"Because Sweetheart you have to know..." Dany said to Aerysa with a smile. "You have to know my story..."

After telling the story and tucking Aerysa to bed, she kissed both of her daughters. Dany heard a soft whine and Ghost came into the bedchambers after the Queen's guards at the door let him in. Dany looked at the white direwolf and patted the bed. He climbed on it and she stared at him for a while.

"He left you too Ghost?" Dany asked the direwolf. Ghost rested his head on the duvet and Dany sighed as she scratched and stroked Ghost's furry white head.

"He'll come back to us Ghost...I know he will..." She said wistfully as she prayed hard for it in her heart. "He has to."

* * *

Varys looked stunned and for a while he couldn't say anything. He didn't expect the King to leave so soon and so suddenly. The _Spider_ had thought that Tyrion might have managed to knock some sense into His Grace. He was confused by what was happening and it befuddled the Master of Whisperer, because he was rarely confused.

"And he just left?" Varys asked Tyrion who was the one who had informed him the news.

Tyrion looked at Varys and nodded.

"I don't understand..." Varys spoke, looking puzzled

"What's there to understand?" Tyrion huffed. "The King left. He took his sword and his men and he left. He's sailing across the Narrow Sea as we speak..."

"How long will he be gone?" Varys asked.

"I don't know..." Tyrion heaved and took a seat on one of Varys' beautifully upholstered chair. "Months maybe or years. He said he needs some time and distance..."

"And he left his family behind?" Varys asked. "Everything that is precious to him..."

"Not everything." Tyrion said. He thought of the young prince the King had brought along.

"Well...he said he needs to go on a journey..." Tyrion said. He signalled one of Varys' serving girls. The girl came and poured him a glass of wine.

"What sort of a journey?" Varys asked. Varys looked on as Tyrion drank the entire glass in one long gulp and asked for more.

"How am I to know?" Tyrion retorted back. "I thought you're the one who is supposed to know everything Lord Varys..."

Varys sighed, disappointedly. "My birds have reported nothing so far..."

* * *

_City of Braavos, Essos._

Jon stood outside the house with the Red Door in Braavos. It was a long trip to the eastern city, sailing across the Narrow Sea, a first for Jon. He stared at the house for a while and looked at the streets. Nobody recognized him and Jon was grateful. The climate in the East was definitely warmer than he was used to. He wore a simple linen tunic over his leather breeches, a long light blue cloak with a hood over him.

"Whose house is this?" Eddy asked. He was wearing the same grey linen tunic, a hat covering his shoulder length white blonde hair. His cheeks had gotten all flushed and pink.

"This is where your_ Issa_ lived with her brother Viserys when she was little. Where she grew up..." Jon said. He smiled at Eddy.

"They didn't have much but your _Issa_ was happy living here. After their guardian died, your mother and her brother were kicked out by the servants..."

Jon winced as he continued. "They had to beg for food sometimes."

"That's horrible..." Eddy said and shook his head.

"But your _Issa _was a strong girl even at that age..." Jon smiled. "She could survive anywhere..."

Jon stared at the house for a while. It was where Dany had lived as a child. She had loved it there, she told him once before. During the many nights they had lied awake and talked of their past. She felt happy and safe living in the house with the red door. It was one of the rare times when she felt truly at home. Jon could tell by the sadness in Dany's voice and the yearning in her violet eyes that perhaps she had longed to go back to the house. A house she considered to be her first home. Dany had missed the days when everything was simple and innocent. Jon took his son's hand and the two of them walked the streets. He will have to come back to the house the next day. There were King's guards following them from behind, dressed in simple clothes, long hooded cloak to cover their swords.

"We have to write to _Issa_ later and tell them we're well," Eddy reminded his father. "I promised her that I'll write every day."

"Yes we will..." Jon said.

"I miss them," Eddy said, glum faced and looked at his father.

"I know...I miss them too..." Jon sighed.

"Why can't Ghost come with us Papa?" Eddy asked.

"Ghost needs to stay home to look after your sisters and your _Issa_..." Jon told his son.

"Then why do I have to come with you?" Eddy asked.

"Because you need the see the Empire that will be yours someday." Jon said simply and pinched his son's nose. Eddy looked up at his father and smiled.

They walked down the streets and Eddy saw a crippled man begging. He asked his father for a coin and Jon gave it to him. The prince tossed the coin into the beggar's hand. Jon smiled seeing that. The compassion his son had, despite being one so young at six. Eddy would be a good King, Jon was sure of it and felt the fatherly pride rose in him.

"You have your _Issa's_ heart..." Jon said to the young prince.

"_Issa_ says that as Dragons we have to help the innocents and those who can't help themselves." Eddy spoke. He looked around seeing the homeless street kids of Braavos.

"Your _Issa's_ right." Jon said with a sigh.

"_Issa _also says that we have to be merciless to those who harm the Innocents and to our enemies..." Eddy said and looked at Jon. "Is she right Papa?"

Jon pursed his lips for a while and breathed. "So long as you act honourably Eddy. That is most important. A man's honour is his true worth."

Jon bent down and pulled Eddy to him. "Come on..." He said to his son. "Climb up my back, I'll carry you home."

* * *

They sailed to Pentos to meet with the Magister and rode to the Dothraki Sea weeks later with the King's guards and a Dothraki chieftain. Jon saw the horses and cattle grazing on the pastures and learned a bit of the Dothraki words. The Dothrakis were a bit wary of him at first but he spoke of Daenerys and then they knew. He was the _Khaleesi's _husband and they treated him with the utmost respect. The Dothraki set up camp at night and he and Eddy lied on the open grasslands and looked up seeing the stars above. Jon then told his firstborn the story of his mother.

"When your _Issa_ was very young, she was married off to a Dothraki Khal..." Jon said.

"What does that mean Papa? A Khal?" Eddy asked.

"It's like a King. A tribal chieftain." Jon explained.

"Oh..." Eddy uttered and nodded.

"She became a _Khaleesi_..." Jon told his son. "Your _Issa_ became a Queen."

"That's what Ser Jorah calls her..." Eddy said when he suddenly remembered.

"Yes..." Jon said. "She had a baby, your brother Rhaego..."

"Like the dragon Rhaegal?" Eddy asked him.

"Yes. Like the dragon..." Jon said with a nod. "Your mother named the dragon after my father and after her baby..."

"What happened to Rhaego?" Eddy asked, his violet eyes piqued curiously. He didn't know he had an older brother.

"He died." Jon replied sadly "And so did her husband Drogo."

"Why is _Issa's_ story always so sad?" Eddy asked after a quiet pause. Jon looked at the boy and he couldn't answer it himself. He then sighed and ruffled Eddy's white blond head.

"But _Issa's_ story has a happy ending." Jon said with a smile.

"She sits on the Iron Throne now. A Queen of a vast empire. Which you will inherit one day. And she has three children she loves more than life itself. You and your sisters.."

"And you, Papa..." Eddy added, his violet eyes looking at his father. "_Issa _has you."

Jon kissed the top of Eddy's head and held his son close. He started humming the melody of that Old Valyrian song that Dany always sang to the children and Eddy soon fell to sleep. Jon stared up in the night sky and he saw that bright star flickering. The dragon star as Dany once told him. Jon realized he missed his wife and daughters terribly but he needed to go, he didn't know why. He needed to bring his son and went on this long journey through Essos.

Jon heard the shriek and looked up. It was Aegon the dragon, his son's dragon, back from a feeding. Aegon was red, all red scales with a long red tail, spinal plates and wings. He wasn't as fully grown as the three older dragons but he was big enough to scare any would be attackers. Aegon was about the size of two elephants. Aegon landed near their tent and campfire and Jon was relieved seeing the dragon resting nearby, his sharp, dark, dragon eyes never leaving the sleeping prince. With Aegon around, he knew they would be safe. Arya had sent a long letter chastising her brother for taking such a reckless, impulsive trip, and with the heir no less. But he had brought a medical physician with him and nurses. There was even a Septa for the prince so he could study. Master Hirik's well trained apprentice who was as good a warlock as his Master came along as well. Jon had made sure that he had all he needed for the long trip to the East. Still Arya wasn't convinced that her brother did the right thing.

* * *

_King's Landing._

It had been months since Jon left. At first, Dany wasn't sure how she would manage without him. They had never been apart for such long periods before. Six years of marriage where they had been almost inseparable. Worse, he brought Eddy with him and Dany missed her only son terribly. It seemed like everything in Red Keep would remind her of Jon. She would sleep on the bed they had shared, their daughters sleeping next to her. She would smell his tunics and jackets and at times when she felt the longing was too great, Dany would hug Ghost. Ghost, Jon's loyal beloved direwolf, who had never left his side, became Dany's constant companion. Ghost would be with her when she stood at the terrace just staring out in the twilight sky, wondering if Jon was staring at the same night sky as her. She read the letters Jon sent and sometimes she would write back to him. He wasn't very descriptive in his writings. Jon would write to tell Dany that he was healthy and well and Eddy too and to send his regards and love to the girls.

The fifteen members of the Small Council were having debates and at times were bickering furiously on how to resolve the Reformation of the Septs and to curb the religious uprising. It all gave Dany a huge headache. It was worse in Parliament. She then realized that she had a lot to learn. Dany even wondered how Jon ever managed to govern all Seven Kingdoms when she was convalescing. It wasn't easy she felt. Much easier to just conquer lands and fight in battles, but she was determined to be a good ruler. Dany wrote to Jon asking for his opinions, the letters became a long discourse on politics and governance. It was strange how much more she was learning of her husband when he was thousands of miles away from her.

"_Don't let Lord Jaime manipulate you into going to war with the Septs, it would be a bad situation. Negotiate. Didn't you once tell me to build alliances?"_

"_The merchants in the city make money by rising up the prices of staple foods exorbitantly. It would be better to write to the Tyrells and ask them for more grains to trade in the Capital. This also means you should write a letter apologizing to Lord Willas. I know you are Queen but even Dragons must humble themselves. That is what I am learning as well. I also feel that the Crownlands has fertile lands along the river delta that ought to be farmed. I have drawn up blue prints with the Master of Agriculture. You can look at it if you wish..."_

"_The Lords in Parliament solution to everything is to cut taxes and curb spending. I know you believe in this too but we have to build roads and schools and other amenities for the greater good of all. It would be best to tax everyone fairly maybe even the North. Do so gradually.. Discuss with Master Tully and with the Hands first."_

"_I feel that you should listen to your heart more and less of what your ministers and advisors tell you. Don't let them push and pull you to their advantage...You are Queen. You have the fury and courage of a Dragon my Love. "_

"_I miss you. I know I should always tell you that. I miss you and I love you Dany. Always and Forever."_

* * *

Tyrion was surprised when the Queen asked to see all her Lord Paramounts that day, summoning everyone of them to the Capital. She sat on the Iron Throne while all six of them were presented to her. There was Willas Tyrell from the Reach, Bran Stark from the North, Jaime Lannister from the Westerlands and the Iron Isles, Edmure Tully from the Riverlands. Harrold Hardyng who represented the Arryns from the Vale. There was Princess Arianne of Dorne and Lady Margaery of the Stormlands.

"I ask all of you here for your fealty and your allegiance." The Queen spoke. They all looked at her. "And also your cooperation..." She then paused.

"I know this past year hasn't been easy for any of you. The people are angry and afraid. There have been uprisings throughout the lands and the question of religion has been a very sacred issue. I need your support so that the resistance among the clergy will be contained. Parliament will pass the Religious Act soon, it gives the Crown and Parliament to be above even the Septs and make the reformations final..."

"And if we were to still practise the Old Faith your Grace and not choose to join the reformed Sept?" Edmure Tully asked.

"You will not be punished." The Queen replied, reassuring the Lord of the Riverlands.

"You will be allowed to worship as you please to whichever gods you wish. The Religious Act is to bind the power of the clergy especially that of the High Septon, so that no such crusades and persecution goes on in the future. We can't have a country torn apart because of differences in religious beliefs. It is not a peaceful country and not something I want."

"What does the King say then?" Princess Arianne boldly questioned the Queen. "Is it true that he has left and abdicated?"

"The King still rules with me." The Queen responded with a slight frown, Tyrion had noticed. It was obvious the Queen was quite miffed by the Dornish princess' inquiry. She breathed in deeply as if restraining herself and Tyrion knew he had to intervene.

"His Grace is in Essos right now with several court advisors and ministers to oversee our provinces overseas." Tyrion cut in and replied to the princess.

"We rule together my Lords and Ladies," The Queen continued. "That is what you must know, if you know nothing else about the King and I."

The Queen looked at Tyrion and gave a nod. He nodded back and looked at the Lords and Ladies. "Well...If you please follow me..." Tyrion said with a smile.

* * *

After the meeting with the Paramount Houses whereby they all agreed to support the Queen and signed their endorsement of the Religious Act, Tyrion held another meeting with the Smaller Council. The meeting that lasted for days discussing and planning a grand scale reorganization of the government. For the first time since the War of Conquest when Aegon and his sister-wives ruled, there were two regents ruling the Seven Kingdoms. There were two instead of one sitting on the Iron Throne. There had never been any official division of duties between the two monarchs. The Queen and the King in absentia had decided that to avoid any further disagreements, want an official memorandum.

Jaime Lannister thought it ridiculous. He didn't see why the Queen should let the King rule now that she is healthy and well.

"The Queen sits on the Iron Throne. It's hers. She should not need to share power with anyone. She is the last Targaryen before her children. The throne is hers by right. The king is merely her consort" Jaime grumbled to the Council.

The rest of them looked at each other rather awkwardly. They all knew who the King truly was. All with the exception of Jaime. Ser Jorah looked at Varys while Arya stared at Tyrion. Tyrion heaved and shook his head.

"No." Tyrion said. "Both of them rule together. Both are legitimate monarchs on the Iron Throne."

"The Queen is the legitimate monarch..." Jaime spoke out.

"They will rule together..." Tyrion argued and frowned at his big brother who looked like he refused to back down.

"Well we have to figure something out and soon..." Arya interjected. "Aegon let his sisters handle the governance of the Seven kingdoms... They only needed him for military command."

"Maybe we can divide the kingdoms?" Jaime asked indignantly and crossed his arms. "See who gets what?"

"The Targaryen Empire is vast." Ser Jorah started. "We also have to manage the provincial governments in the East well. It is quite disorganized and rife with corruption, especially in the Free Cities..."

Varys nodded hearing what Ser Jorah said. "This is why the King is there. He needs to see the Eastern Empire for himself and figure out ways to manage it well." Varys spoke to the rest.

"Now we need to figure out a way to organize the rule of Seven Kingdoms and the Eastern Empire so that any future rulers would not have to muck around the messy mud of politics." Tyrion said with a huff and looked at the other members of the Smaller Council. He heaved loudly knowing that the meeting would be a long one.

* * *

"Two monarchs ruling the Seven Kingdoms..." Jaime spoke as he paced about in the Queen's chambers. He stopped and looked at the Queen.

"Are you sure of this?" Jaime asked her. "Officially Your Grace?"

The Queen was quiet and pursed her lips slightly. "The King and I think it is best."

Jaime saw the doubt in her eyes. He was irritated. The King had taken the opportunity to bring disorder in the realm. When his wife was convalescing from some mysterious erratic episodes years ago, the King went hacking away at the old established order of things and formed his own brand of government. And now when the kingdoms were in their time of need, the King just up and left. Jaime was done keeping silent. He knew he had to do something. Something drastic even. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"He didn't consult you?" Jaime asked her."He just took the prince and left?" His tone had gotten a bit harsh and it sounded as if he was interrogating the Queen.

"He is King Lord Jaime." The Queen told him rather curtly. "He sits on the Iron Throne."

"The Iron Throne is yours Dany!" Jaime cried, not caring that he had addressed her so informally. "You fought for it with fire and blood. You command the dragons and you would just give it all away to some Northern bastard..."

"Stop it!" the Queen shouted. "You're way off base here Lord Lannister!" She said sharply.

"I should you hang for treason..." She told him in a cold tone and stepped away, her back facing him.

"You know I care for you Your Grace..." Jaime said almost sighing. Jaime then touched the Queen's hand and pulled her to him. "You must know my feelings for you..." He whispered to her, his green eyes probed hers.

"Lord Lannister Please..." The Queen said and tried to move away. Jaime just took her hand, clasping and kissed it gently.

"I only want what's best for you..." Jaime told her. He was still holding her hand.

"You're crossing the line Lord Jaime..." The Queen told him quietly. Her voice turned cold.

"I don't care about that..." He said. Jaime pulled the Queen close and gently caressed her cheek. "I love you..."

"No..." The Queen shook her head and moved away. She pushed Jaime away from her. "Stop it this instance!"

"It is the truth." Jaime said, his voice turned hoarse. "I had no life in me, no joy, no purpose and then you came, Your Grace. You pardoned my son. You gave me back my hand and you gave me back something I had lost and thought gone forever. A passion and will to make myself better. To truly live. To be the man my father always wanted for me."

"I love you!" Jaime shouted. "I truly love you!"

"I am your Queen and I am married Lord Jaime!" The Queen screamed back. "And I love my husband with everything in me. If you think that I feel the same for you Lord Jaime, you are mistaken!"

"He left you!" Jaime spoke bitterly. "Can't you see that? He took your son and heir and left! I would never do that to you! The King abandoned you. What he did was unforgivable!"

"You did much worse," The Queen told him harshly. "You killed my father and betrayed my family...and yet I forgave you."

"That was different." Jaime said. "You didn't know what he was like. You don't know the atrocities your Father did. He wasn't just mad. He was a monster."

"The Mad King was cruel and sadistic. He tortured people for fun, he raped your mother every single night...He burned Lords alive and made people watch...He wanted to burn the entire city with wildfire when the rebels came through the gates. I couldn't let it happen. Everyone would die..."

"He wanted to burn everyone?" the Queen asked and looked at Jaime. She didn't know that. She didn't know that her father Aerys wanted to burn the entire city.

"He had pyromancers placing wildfire everywhere in the city. At his command, they would light the fires and King's Landing would be in ashes, hundreds of thousands dead...I couldn't let it happen. Your father even wanted to burn himself, thinking he'd transform into a dragon in the flames. I had to slit his throat just to make sure that didn't happen..."

"Why have you not told anyone?" The Queen asked. She had calmed herself down and looked at Jaime.

"I did once. To someone very dear..." Jaime said sadly. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter anyway. Everyone thinks me a man without honour."

"Not everyone..." The Queen spoke and took his hand.

Jaime looked at her and took her hand, squeezing it tight before kissing it firmly. "I am sorry Your Grace for everything...I was being too familiar with you but I am not sorry for my feelings towards you. I love you Daenerys. I truly love you not just as my Queen but the way a man loves a woman."

The Queen grew quiet and quickly took her hand away from his. She walked to the window and stared out into the harbour. Jaime wondered what she was thinking. She looked so sad and so far away and Jaime was trying his best not to pull her in his arms and comfort her.

"Maybe it's best for you to leave King's Landing Lord Jaime. You have been most loyal and faithful in serving me but I do not need you any longer... We cannot continue like this. It is not proper. And this is not fair to you. I'm letting you go."

He was saddened hearing it. She wanted him to leave. The Queen too sounded distant and sad as she continued,"You will be well rewarded for your contributions and so will your son. I will never forget your deeds Lord Jaime and you will always have my support in anything you want. All the Lannister bannermen under the Crown forces will be returned to House Lannister."

"Thank You Your Grace for your generosity." Jaime said in a respectful tone. His heart had been broken but he knew he had to take defeat as gracefully as he could. "I will leave the Capital immediately with your permission."

"Stay for a while more Lord Jaime..." The Queen said with a sad smile on her beautiful face. "At least after Parliament passes the Acts."

* * *

_Qarth, Essos_

The Red Waste was too dangerous to bring the young prince so they sailed to Qarth by ship from Astapor. Qarth was a vassal state in Daenerys' Empire. The Qarthians were very welcoming to Jon and the young Crown prince who were on a formal visit. They marvelled at the red dragon and bestowed gifts on the King. Spices and silks, precious gems and gold. They called him an Emperor and treated him as such. Jon stood at the site where the House of Undying once stood. One of the palace staff had said that Daenerys Stormborn once went in there, and she destroyed the accursed place when she came out of it.

Jon breathed in deeply as he thought of Dany. She had gone inside the dark place, alone yet brave, wanting to look for her missing dragons. He wondered what Dany saw when she was in there._ Was she frightened? Was she harmed by any dark magic?_ _What was going through Dany's mind the entire time she was there?_ Jon contemplated and reflected on it for quite a while. When he was back in his guest chambers in the grand palace that the Qarthians had prepared for him, Jon couldn't sleep that night. All that was his mind was his wife and when he finally closed his eyes, he saw Dany in his dreams.

He was in the Throne Room of Red Keep and it was in ruins. Jon stared up at the ceiling and saw that parts of the roof were destroyed. Snow was falling and it covered the entire place. Jon walked in carefully and he saw Dany sitting on the Iron Throne. She smiled at him and gave him his Valyrian steel sword, _Longclaw_.

"_Jon..."_ Dany called to him.

"_Dany?"_ He smiled seeing his wife. She looked so beautiful sitting there. He was awestruck for a while.

"_What are you doing here?"_ He asked her.

"_It's your dream Jon..."_ Dany said with a shrug. He was so happy seeing her, Jon pulled her up from the Iron Throne and hugged her tight. He didn't realize that Dany's finger was cut by one of the pointed blades.

Dany pulled away and looked at him. She showed him her finger where there was a thin slice. The red blood dripped on the snow covered ground. Jon watched as the blood dripped, for a while he was fascinated seeing the red droplets on the white snow. Dany gave him a mysterious smile and Jon grew worried. He tore a piece of cloth from his linen sleeping tunic and tied it around her finger.

"_It's alright..."_ Dany sighed. _"It's just a scratch."_

"_I hate to see you hurt..."_ Jon mumbled.

"_Look Jon..." _Dany said and her eyes were glued to the ground where droplets of her blood and flowed, the red of it tainting the pristine whiteness of snow. Jon looked down as well and saw blue winter roses, sprouting from the ground growing and blossoming right from under him.

Dany bent and plucked the blue rose and smelled it. Jon smiled seeing that and pulled her for a hug.

"_I miss you so much Dany..."_ He whispered as he kissed her lips. Jon closed his eyes and held her close to him._ "I love you so very much."_

"_Come home Jon..." _Dany whispered_. "Come back home to me..."_

Jon immediately opened his eyes and she was gone. He stared up at the ceiling and realized it was a dream and that he was sweating badly. Jon sat up on the bed and checked on his son, Eddy who was sleeping at the other end of the large bed. He was relieved that his son was there, half afraid that Eddy might be taken from him. If anything were to happen to his son and heir to the Iron Throne, Jon knew he would never forgive himself. He covered his face with both hands and looked down the sleeping tunic he wore. Jon realized that the hem was torn, just like in the dream when he had tore it off to tie it around Dany's finger.

* * *

_Astapor._

They sailed back to Slaver's Bay and stayed in the city of Astapor for several weeks. The city had been rebuilt from the fires during the Sack when Dany and the Unsullied attacked and conquered. Astapor had been attacked by the Yunkai and a Bloody Flux almost wiped out the population. But Astapor managed to rise from the ashes. After Queen Daenerys sat on the Iron Throne, she sent soldiers to rebuild the city and secure it as she did all the other cities in her Eastern Empire. A new council lead by a Westerosi Governor then ruled the city peacefully and there was an army of freed Unsullied soldiers to defend it.

Jon managed to meet the Governor of the city, a man appointed by Catelyn Stark from House Tully. He updated Jon with news from Westeros. The Religious Act had been passed in Parliament and there was a treaty drawn between the Old Faith of the Seven and the new Reformists Sect. The new citizens no longer held slaves captive in Astapor. Jon saw the large marble statue of his wife and her three dragons. It had replaced the old statue of the Harpy. They called her their Empress and commemorated the fateful day she had freed the slaves and slew the slave masters.

Jon brought Eddy to the Plaza of Pride that afternoon. The prince looked at the statue of his mother and the three dragons.

"This is where _Issa_ freed the slaves..." Eddy spoke and looked at his father. Jon smiled and gave a nod.

"_Issa _told me the story of what happened. She had Drogon with her and he burned the city or parts of it. And the large army marched with her," Eddy said in an excited tone. He looked up and saw that his red dragon Aegon was circling the city.

Eddy then saw the female dragons flying with him, Visenya with her brown and bronze scales and Valyria like the larger dragon, Viserion had cream and white scales but three horns on top her head were silver. Eddy was surprised that they were there. The citizens of Astapor saw the creatures and some cowered in fright, others just stood and stared in wonder

"I wrote to your mother to set the dragons free from their pits," Jon said to Eddy.

"And they came here?" Eddy asked with a curious look.

"They know where their Prince is and they want to protect him." Jon said as he looked up at the young dragons flying in the sky.

Aegon swooped down with a roar and stood right in front of the Prince. Eddy walked towards Aegon. His eyes widened when he saw the saddle affixed on Aegon's scruff. He turned and smiled at his father.

"Can I Papa?" He asked. Eddy was . "Can I ride him now?"

Jon laughed and carried Eddy with him. "We'll ride him together. You're still too young to ride on your own..."

"But I rode on horseback alone and shoot arrows with the Dothraki." Eddy said with a small frown.

"That is different Son, dragons are not horses..." Jon said to the prince. Eddy gave a nod. Jon placed Eddy on the saddle and then he got on it.

"Hold on to the reins. And don't let go." Jon told the young prince firmly. Eddy did so and Jon tapped on Aegon's flank lightly with his boots. The red dragon grunted and Jon pulled the leather reins. Aegon started flapping his wings and lifted off from the ground.

Eddy grew excited as the dragon ascended into the air. He had rode dragons before, the three larger ones with his parents. But to ride his own dragon, Aegon was something new and exciting to the Prince. Eddy squealed in delight as Aegon rose even higher. Jon laughed happily as well as he held Eddy close to him. The dragon flew over the harbour and the water. Eddy pointed at the ships.

"Look Papa..." Eddy cried and pointed down. Jon saw the dolphins swimming in the water in schools.

"Can I have one?" Eddy asked his father. "Keep one in the pool at Red Keep?"

Jon laughed when he heard that. "I'm not sure if that's possible..."

Eddy shook his head and stretched both his arms out, which worried Jon, afraid that the young prince might fall into the sea. Jon held Eddy closer. "We're Dragons Papa. Anything is possible!"

Aegon swooped down close to the sea's surface. Aegon's red tail dipping into the water, splashing sea spray from the waves that made the prince laughed with joy. Jon smiled to himself hearing that. His son was having a good time and Jon loved hearing Eddy's laughter. The prince should always laugh and smile with no care in the world. Eddy should never know of sorrow and suffering, the sad tragedies that his mother and father had known before and Jon wished his son never would. But no one knew what the future would bring. As a father, Jon was determined that all his children would be protected, loved and sheltered from all that was dangerous in the world. They wouldn't be children for much longer. They would grow up and be adults and Jon wondered what he would do then. What Dany would do when that happens? They'd have to set their children free and let them explore the world and began their adult lives. They would one day rule the Seven Kingdoms and the East. Would they be brilliant rulers or despotic tyrants?

* * *

_King's Landing._

Dany brought the girls up on the grassy bluff. She had decided on a picnic that afternoon and brought the girls riding to one of their father's favourite places that was outside the city gates. They were all sitting on the large blanket, one with the royal crest, the three headed dragon and it's talon holding a small shield with the Stark direwolf's head. Her handmaidens had brought baskets of flowers for the princesses and they had started making crowns and wreaths of flowers to put it in their hair. Talisa Stark came along bringing her daughter Valyrie. Dany smiled seeing Valyrie braiding Aerysa's white blonde hair and adding flowers to Aerysa's braid. Aerysa placed a wreath of flowers on her sister's Lyanna's black hair.

Lyanna stared at her sister's hair and ran her small fingers through it. "Why isn't my hair like yours and _Issa_?" Lyanna asked.

"Because your hair is like Papa's." Aerysa smiled. "Thick and curly and black like the raven's feather..."

"But I want my hair to be like yours and _Issa's_." Lyanna pouted.

"I love your hair..." Aerysa told her younger sister. "It's pretty and shiny just like Papa's."

"I miss him..." Lyanna said sadly and tears started to pool in her violet eyes. Aerysa immediately hugged her sister. "I know. He'll be back soon..." Aerysa said and stroked Lyanna's back

Seeing that made Dany's heart ache. Her youngest was the most sensitive among all three children. Lyanna wasn't bold like her brother Eddy or stubborn like Aerysa. She was gentle, sweet and sometimes Dany realized that Lyanna always needed to have someone with her. Dany grew worried at times, she didn't want any of her children to be dependant on others. They needed to be strong if they were to rule someday. She then remembered what Jon had written, that Lyanna was only a child and she needed her mother more than she needed a Queen in her life.

"Come here Lyanna..." Dany called to her youngest. The raven haired princess turned around and wiped her tears. Dany sighed and opened her arms. Lyanna saw that and rushed towards her.

"It's going to be alright..." Dany said softly and cooed. She kissed Lyanna's head firmly.

"Do you know what I love most about you?" Dany asked the little princess. Lyanna looked up at her mother, big wet violet eyes staring at her mother's and shook her head. "No."

"I love how you remind me so much of your Papa," Dany said with a smile and touched Lyanna's dark curls. "You have his hair and his smile..."

"And your eyes _Issa_..." Lyanna said.

"Yes you have my eyes..." Dany said with a soft laugh and kissed Lyanna's forehead. "And I love you so much and so does your Papa..." She hugged Lyanna close to her.

"Never forget that Sweetheart. We love you very much..." Dany whispered to Lyanna.

"_Issa look!"_ Aerysa suddenly cried and stood up. Dany looked up in the sky and saw her female dragons, Visenya and Valyria flying towards them. Rhaenys was in her dragonpit, caring for her eggs.

"They're back _Issa_! The dragons are back!" Aerysa said excitedly. Dany got up as well and carried Lyanna with her.

"Oh...you're getting heavy..." Dany murmured to her youngest. Lyanna only smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. Lyanna clung to her, wrapping her small arms around her mother's neck.

The two female dragons landed and Dany saw a long scroll on the saddle back. She smiled as she took it out, Lyanna still clinging to her.

"What is it _Issa_?" Aerysa asked as her mother rolled out the scroll and read the message on it. Lyanna peering to look at the scroll.

"It's from your brother..." Dany said with a smile and laughed. "He wants to have dolphins in the palace pools..."

* * *

_Meereen _

Jon brought Eddy to Meereen, where he met with Missandei. She was once a slave who had been freed by Dany and served as her handmaiden and interpreter. Missandei was the current governor of the city of Meereen and it was a large one. Meereen had many ancient pyramids, being once a strong hold of Old Ghis. The old aristocratic establishment had been long gone and former slaves and freemen made the city their home. Jon lived in the Great Pyramid which was Daenerys' palace when she ruled there. It was grander than even Red Keep. Missandei and her staff treated him with respect and reverence. Missandei updated Jon on the news of the happenings in the former cities which were once slave trading ports. He sat there while Eddy sat by the window staring at the stars.

"He must miss his mother Your Grace," Missandei commented.

Jon turned to look at Eddy and nodded. "He does but he needs to go on this trip. It's very important for the prince."

"He looks so much like the _Khaleesi_." Missandei said. Missandei then looked at Jon and he saw her worried look.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"Is the _Khaleesi_ doing well? Is she happy?"

"She sits on the Iron Throne now. My daughters are with her. I think she is content," Jon replied.

"But is she happy now?" Missandei asked him again.

Jon didn't really know how to answer the young woman. "I think she is. She is very happy. She should be."

"Even though you're here Your Grace?" Missandei inquired. "And she's there, a world away from you..."

"We write to each other every day." Jon said and suddenly he felt the pang speared through him. He was away from Dany. So far away. The time and distance away from her was starting to take a toll on him. Ever since that dream he had of her in Qarth

"I'm happy for the _Khaleesi_ Your Grace. That she has married and has children now. She deserves to be happy. She is a good Queen. Even though she's tough and ruthless, the _Khaleesi_ has a kind heart. She freed me and many others from our bonds and chains. We all owe our lives to her."

"About these Slave Master that still trade slaves?" Jon asked Missandei.

"Yes..." Missandei spoke and shook her head. "I suspect it must be one of the old Slaving families. You've heard of them Your Grace?"

Jon gave a nod. He knew that the old ruling class weren't happy when Dany conquered the city. They had tried to undermine her and the Westerosi advisors that Dany had sent to form a council with Missandei.

"They are not happy that the Valyrian as they called the Queen has ruled over them again. Old Valyria had burned down the mighty Ghiscarian Empire in the old days and the cedar trees the people in Meereen used to trade. So they trade slaves in the black market...There are still buyers ..." Missandei informed him.

"But it is banned throughout the Empire." Jon said, baffled.

"Banned but not enforced Your Grace. There are many rich and powerful families in the East. They are not easy to control..." Missandei said. "Even here in Meereen."

"Sons of the Harpy you mean?" He asked. Missandei gave a nod.

"I had to resort to other means..." She said with a tired sigh. "Sellswords for hire to kill them. I even procured spies among them. It is a treacherous place but the _Khaleesi's_ rule and law must be observed."

"Do you think it's possible Lady Missandei to implement a parliament system in the former slave cities like what we have in Westeros?" Jon asked.

Missandei shook her head before telling him her honest opinion, "Not possible Your Grace. The West made slavery illegal a thousand years before and it is only banned here when the _Khaleesi_ came to power. We are still behind in terms of governance. Not as sophisticated as Westeros or even the Nine Free Cities..."

"We have to figure out a way then." Jon spoke. He sounded determined. He didn't want the slavers to win. Good should always prevail, that was what Jon had always believed.

He looked at the window and saw that his son was already asleep on the silk cushions.

"Perhaps we'll continue tomorrow Your Grace," Missandei spoke graciously with a smile. Jon looked at her and gave a nod.

"Perhaps we should Lady Missandei." He said with a small smile.

Jon walked to the cushions and lifted the sleeping prince up in his arms. He walked down the halls with King's guards flanking him and went to the prince's chamber to put his son to bed. Jon didn't sleep the entire night. He had to write a long letter to both his Hands and the Smaller Council, his daily reports on what he had found about the governance of the Eastern Empire and how it could be improved. Jon yawned loudly when it was dawn. The candles were burned at their wick's end and he had almost finished with his report. The sun was rising and Jon got up from his desk. He leaned against the pillar and stared at the pyramids in the distant, smaller than the Great Pyramid where he resided. It was beautiful sight, seeing the pink, orange hues of dawn, the sun peeking from behind the pyramids and the sand dunes of the desert. Jon suddenly wished that Dany was there with him, watching the exquisite sunrise together instead of being thousands of miles away. Jon then remembered that he had chosen to leave her and felt the bitter tinge of regret coursing through him.


	21. Chapter 21 A Tale of Ice and Fire

_Note: In this fanfic version, Mance Rayder was not killed as claimed by Ramsay Bolton and lived. And Jaime despite being Jaime has some good in him. Yay!  
_

* * *

"_Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice." ~ _Robert Frost.

Chapter Twenty One.

_King's Landing._

Arya Stark stared at the long letter she had just received from her brother. She sighed and stared out the window. Jon's long trip to the East was fruitful. He was briefed by the viceroys and governors in the various cities and provinces on matters of state and governance of the Eastern Targaryen Empire that his wife had conquered. The Faith's uprising and its ferocity had waned. Slavery had been banned throughout the vast empire and even though there were still pockets of resistance, it was still contained. Jon wrote to Arya that there was still much work needed to be done.

Arya knew the Queen had missed her husband and son terribly, but the Queen put up a brave, undaunted front. She was cool, calm and fearless and managed the kingdoms well. But there were times Arya would catch Her Grace, staring into space or smiling to herself, remembering something that Jon had said. Arya heard a knock and looked up surprised to see Jaime Lannister walking into her office with one of his Scribes carrying a long, leather case.

"Lord Jaime..." Arya said.

"Lady Stark..." He greeted and gave a bow.

"Something you need Lord Jaime?" Arya asked, arching a dark brow as she looked at the golden haired man.

Everyone was surprised when Jaime Lannister tendered his official resignation. He would still serve the Crown faithfully but had decided to leave the Capital and head home where his son and heir, Tommen lived. The Queen made Willas Tyrell the new Prime Master. Ser Jorah still served as Deputy and was also given the title as Chief Advisor.

"I'm here to give you something actually..." the former Prime Master spoke. "Before I make my leave for Casterly Rock."

"Oh!" Arya gasped in mock surprise. "A farewell present? And what would that be?" Arya looked closely at Jaime.

"Since we are to be family with your brothers marrying my cousin's daughters..." Lord Jaime spoke and sighed. "A gift is in order."

"Oh don't trouble yourself my Lord..." Arya said with a wry smile and waved her hand. "The dowry of six hundred gold bars for each marriage that your family has given will suffice."

Jaime gave Arya a smirk. "Lady Stark, trust me when I say that you will accept this gift that I offer."

Jaime then looked at his scribe and the young man took out the case. Arya watched as the young man took something covered in velvet cloth from the long leather case. The scribe uncovered the velvet and she saw a long sword lying there. Arya's eyes went wide when she saw the direwolf carved on the sword's ivory and silver hilt. _It couldn't be it could it?_

"My father melted it down into two swords after he took it from Ser Illyn Payne..." Jaime spoke. "I had to find a very skilled blacksmith to melt it back to one and believe me Lady Stark..." Jaime heaved before continuing.

"It was hard to find anyone who knew how to craft Valyrian Steel these days. Lord Varys helped to procure a skilled smith from _Qohor_. He tried his best to make it look like the original from the paintings..."

"This is _Ice_?" Arya asked him. She was stunned. It looked like her father's sword. The Valyrian Steel sword that had been with The Starks for generations. She looked at the sword closely and traced her fingers delicately on the sword's blade.

Jaime nodded. "This is from your late father's sword...The same one my father, Lord Tywin took and melted down."

"And you're giving it to me?" Arya asked Jaime, shocked that he would return something that was most valuable. The Lannisters had no Valyrian steel sword of their own.

"It belongs to your Family. It should be back with the Starks..." Jaime said

"What do you want Lord Jaime?" Arya asked as her eyes narrowed.

"It's an olive branch Lady Arya..." Jaime said and looked at the young woman. Arya only eyed at him suspiciously.

"It's a peace offering," Jaime emphasized.

"I know what an olive branch is Lord Jaime." Arya snapped. "I want to know why you would give me back my father's sword. You could have just kept it..."

"My father took it Lady Arya and I am not my father. Contrary to what you may think, not all Lannisters are pricks or thieves..." Jaime said with a small scowl.

"Well you did push my brother out the window." Arya said in a caustic tone and crossed her arms. "So let me reserve that judgement."

"Look the sword is yours, so take it." Jaime said in an annoyed tone and pushed the sword on Arya's large desk towards her.

"It's House Lannister's peace offering to the Starks and the North. Since both our Houses are to be merged by marriage, we should try to coexist in harmony." Jaime said to Arya.

"I did not start the war nor did I have anything to do with your father's and brother's deaths. These endless quarrels and hatred between both Houses has to stop. It doesn't benefit anyone." Jaime spoke.

Arya sighed and rolled her eyes for a while. "Alright I accept your peace offering..." She started. Jaime smiled at the Hand.

"On one condition..." Arya continued.

"And what would that be?" Jaime asked and crossed his arms.

"I know you are smitten with the Queen...Seven Hells...Everyone knows..." Arya said. "Varys' little _birds_ have been chirping more than usual after your last tea time soiree..."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Jaime asked her, annoyed.

"Stannis Baratheon is dying. Lady Margaery will be without a husband soon and you Ser Jaime...are without a wife..."

Jaime looked at Arya flabbergasted and started laughing. "You must be jesting Lady Arya. You want me to marry the same woman who was married to both my sons?"

"None of them consummated the marriage..." Arya reminded him.

"I can't marry her!" Jaime argued.

"You can and you must. Lady Olenna wants to secure the Stormlands before any upstart distant Baratheon lays claim...If you marry Lady Margaery you will be Lord of Storm's End, and no one will dare to challenge you." Arya told him.

"Not with the large army of Lannister bannermen that you have with you and the Queen's support."

"And why would I want that?" Jaime questioned her smugly. "I am already Lord of Casterly Rock and the Iron Isles..."

"Power Lord Jaime...Because if you don't make a move now, the Martells might or even the Tullys. They have men ready to make a proposal once Stannis Baratheon draws his last breath. Both are old enemies of House Lannister. Oh wait..." Arya paused.

"No. I shouldn't call them enemies. We are in peace times now. I'll call them rival Houses then. I just thought you should be the one to know first..." Arya said and sighed nonchalantly. "As a peace offering on my part."

Jaime thought about it for a while and stared at Arya Stark.

"And what will you ever hope to gain from this?" Jaime asked her.

Arya paused for a while. The Lady Olenna had promised bushels of wheat, barley and oats as well as fresh fruits to The North if she would help secure the Stormlands for the Tyrells, but there was an even bigger reason why Arya wanted to do it.

"Knowing that you will leave for Casterly Rock which will save you a lot of trouble Lord Jaime and even your reputation, or what little there's left of it...The Queen will not be seduced by you my Lord, she loves my brother too much, more now that he's away."

Jaime then gave a nod and reluctantly acquiesced. He knew that too well. The Queen was not in love with him and she never would be. Her Grace's heart belonged to someone else.

"Alright I'll marry Lady Margaery if that's what she wants. She is very beautiful I'm sure she'll give me many sons..."

"I'm sure she will..." Arya said with a sneaky smile. She then looked at Lord Jaime.

"I know you're not your father Lord Jaime. I met him before. He was a ruthless, heartless man and strangely you are not. You are vain and egotistical, but you are not like him. He would have never returned _Ice _back to my family but you did."

"You've met my father Lady Stark?" Jaime asked, utterly surprised. "When did that happened?"

"I served him once," Arya smiled at the old memory of Tywin Lannister. "I was a prisoner in Harrenhall and Lord Tywin made me his serving girl. He never knew who I really was."

* * *

Jaime smiled seeing his brother walking in his chambers. He had a large office in the Parliament building since being appointed Prime Master. His personal effects were packed by his scribes and secretaries. All was left was the large bronze statue of a lion. Tyrion walked into the large chambers and looked around.

"Not bad..." Tyrion said as he appraised the place. "For someone who never wanted power...This is quite an office." Tyrion walked to the large window. "You have a better view than even I have."

Jaime gave a shrug and folded his arms. He eyed his younger brother curiously

"So...Are you here to give me a lecture or to say goodbye Tyrion?" Jaime asked.

Tyrion smiled at his older brother. "I heard what you did...giving the Stark girl back her father's sword. Very noble of you Brother..."

"I don't want it anyway...Valyrian Steel..." Jaime groaned and shook his head. "Hard to maintain..."

"Oh! Stop it..." Tyrion grumbled. "You don't have to hide who you are with me. You're a softie deep inside Jaime and I've known it for ages..."

"I'm really sorry you know, for what happened..." Jaime suddenly spoke, his face softened. "What happened with your first wife."

"It wasn't your fault." Tyrion told him curtly. Tyrion didn't want to think about it anymore. The past was the past. "And I am sorry for not listening to you when you told me..."

"He deserved it." Jaime said quietly. "I know he was our father but he deserved it. What he did to you was unforgivable."

"I had my revenge..." Tyrion said, his voice had gotten low. "And now you're the Lord of Casterly Rock and you are even more powerful than he ever was, Jaime... Without earning the hatred of the whole country..." Tyrion then paused.

"Well except for the Starks. They will never forgive you for what you did to the boy..."

"Fair enough..." Jaime said and looked around the large office.

"What does the Prime Master supposed to do anyway?" He asked his younger brother, Tyrion. "All I did was sit and issue orders and sign documents. It was boring. I hated every moment of it."

"Then why did you stay?" Tyrion asked.

"She needed me. The Queen...and I..." Jaime paused not knowing how to continue.

"You love her that is why you stayed..." Tyrion continued for him. "The same reason why you remained in the King's Guard because you loved Cersei...and why you let our sister walked all over you. You can be a fool in love Jaime."

"We were all fools once," Jaime said.

He thought of his late twin, Cersei. They were inseparable once and he had loved her deeply, almost to the point of obsession. Jaime had gone to Red Keep dungeon when Cersei was imprisoned years before for trying to poison the Queen. Jaime was furious with her that he gripped her throat tightly wanting to choke her. He couldn't of course and let Cersei go. Cersei started crying and screaming hysterically as she touched her throat that had been reddened with Jaime's finger marks.

"_It is you Jaime! You are the Volanqur! It was you all along!'_

Jaime never understood what Cersei was screaming about. He realized that Cersei had probably gone mad. He couldn't reason with his twin anymore. Cersei would not cooperate and would not admit her guilt in trying to poison the Queen. Jaime left the dungeon cell that night and Cersei was executed by the King the next day by his own hand and sword.

"And now you'll finally be married..." Tyrion said, a big grin on his face.

Jaime's thoughts immediately snapped back to the present . He looked at his younger brother Tyrion. Tyrion who was his remaining sibling and now the closest person in the world to Jaime. Jaime would never want his relationship with his brother to be broken or be estranged again.

Tyrion jumped and sat on the large desk. "To the Lady Baratheon..."

Jaime rolled his eyes at the mention of his future bride. He wasn't quite sure about it but maybe something could be worked out. "She wants her stepdaughter Shireen to come to Casterly Rock and live there. Lady Margaery has grown fond of the girl..."

"Yes. She has a kind heart that woman. And she's smart too. Very smart and shrewd. Don't let her wrap you around her little finger. She's her grandmother's protégé. " Tyrion warned. "But all in all a good match and you'll bring the Stormlands under your fold..."

"Couldn't let the Dornish pricks or the fishy Tullys take it..." Jaime said in a rather smug tone.

"We could get Tommen betroth to one of the princesses?" Tyrion suggested to his brother. "The elder one...She has her mother's spirit. She'll be a fine queen."

"You're forgetting the boy?" Jaime asked Tyrion. "He is the heir."

"Ah Yes..." Tyrion replied. "Hadn't seen the Crown Prince in ages..." He then looked at Jaime when another idea popped in his head.

"We can get your daughter when you have one with Lady Margaery to be betrothed to him. Lannisters married to the Crown, once again."

"You're plotting again..."Jaime frowned. "Just like Father and Cersei."

Jaime sighed quietly. Having Tommen bethroth to one of the princesses? He wasn't sure he liked the idea of his son and heir to be used as a pawn.

"I'm a Lannister Jaime." Tyrion said with a smirk. "You do not want to play the power games nor have any liking for them so I have to. We need to secure the Lannister name for posterity."

"If it makes you happy Tyrion." Jaime smiled cheekily. "Happy Plotting little brother. I'm done here in the Capital. For good even. I have to leave for Casterly Rock soon."

* * *

The Narrow Sea

Jon and Eddy went to Yunkai and the remaining Free Cities before they sailed back home. The prince finally saw the expanse of the large Empire he would inherit and the King went through the same long journey his wife did several years before. Jon stood on the ship's deck as it was sailing towards Blackwater Bay, he remembered that fateful night that had precipitated his decision to leave Westeros three years ago. Ser Jorah had come by to see him in his chambers after Lord Tyrion had left.

"_I hear you're leaving for the North..." Ser Jorah said._

"_It's good that you're well informed." Jon said curtly to Ser Jorah. It was late at night and Jon just wanted some time alone._

"_I know it's not my place Your Grace..." Ser Jorah started._

"_It is not!" Jon warned sharply._

"_The Queen shouldn't have done what she did in front of the Small Council. It was wrong of her to treat you thus..." Ser Jorah spoke calmly._

"_So you don't agree that I am weak Ser Jorah?" Jon asked him angrily. Jon didn't need anyone's pity, least of all Ser Jorah.  
_

"_You are the son of Rhaegar with wolf's blood in your veins from your mother. You are not weak. You could not be weak and take the Khaleesi as a wife. She would not have chosen you if you were." Ser Jorah said. He breathed and looked at Jon._

"_And because you are stronger, you must be the one to forgive her Your Grace. She will not apologize because she is a Queen, so you have to forgive. You must be the one to know her...Know her true self."_

"_She is my wife. Of course I know her! I know everything there is to know about her!" Jon said angrily and stared at the man. Jon was annoyed at Ser Jorah and what he was insinuating._

"_Not everything Your Grace." Ser Jorah said and shook his head. "You don't know everything."_

"_You know her as the Queen, the Conqueror who sits on the Iron Throne. You need to know who she was before. You need to know the girl she was, to truly love the woman she becomes and the Queen she is. You need to know the reasons that made her who she is now then perhaps you'll understand her better. Perhaps you'll learn to forgive her and yourself even..." Ser Jorah said._

_"Pardon me for what I'm about to tell you Your Grace." Ser Jorah spoke and looked at Jon. Jon stared at the older man and wondered what it was he wanted to say._

_"I loved her for so long but she would not have me. She chose you. She loves you. I see that in her eyes. You are her King and her Lord even. There must be a reason for that. I know you are angry right now that she has hurt your pride. But sometimes pride is not a virtue Your Grace...Not if it costs a man everything he holds dear." Ser Jorah said before leaving._

* * *

_King's Landing_

"They are coming back..." Varys informed Tyrion, a gleeful smile on his round face.

"My birds told me, His Grace and the prince are heading home."

"After almost three long years..." Tyrion sighed. The Hand shook his head. It was a reckless decision on the King's part. The sudden need to see the Eastern Empire and bringing the heir to the Iron Throne with him.

Tyrion didn't know what to make of it at first. The entire Small Council with its fifteen or so members were having quite heady discussion when they knew about it. The Queen came by and told them that the King had left with the Crown Prince and maybe five hundred or so men the night before. Thirteen ships had sailed across the Narrow Sea, where the King would meet with the governors and viceroys in the East. No one knew that except for the Hands and Varys of course before the Queen decided to inform the rest of the Small Council.

The Queen had agreed for the King to go with his son, while she took charge of things in the West. Varys had heard his _birds_ saying that maybe the Royal Couple just needed the time apart. It was better than having their marriage dissolved. Lords in Parliament including the Prime Master, Jaime Lannister saw the King's absence as irresponsible. With the religious tension and crisis stirring in Westeros and the reformation of the Faith, it didn't make sense for the King to leave so suddenly. Jaime had gone to the Queen and told her what he thought of the entire débâcle and he didn't mince his words. The Queen however rebuffed him and Jaime was sent packing. Tyrion was relieved. Jaime was back in Casterly Rock where he belonged.

"The whole of Essos Lord Tyrion. From Braavos to Pentos to the Dothraki Sea to Qarth and Slaver's Bay, Astapor, Meereen and Yunkai and all the Free Cities..." Varys said.

Tyrion looked at him quizzically. "That's the same journey the Queen took..." Tyrion spoke. "Before she came here..."

"Well not all of it they ventured. It was too dangerous to bring the boy to the Red Waste..." Varys said with a shrug.

"What is he doing? The King?" Tyrion asked, his brows furrowed. He then stared at Varys. "Why is he retracing her footsteps?"

"I wouldn't know...The King had gotten it into his head that he needed to see what she saw and go through the same long, arduous journey." Varys replied and shrugged.

"At least that's what my_ birds_ reported."

* * *

_Red Keep Palace_

Jon walked quickly to the Royal Family's residence, holding Eddy's hand He hurried into the palace, wanting to see his wife and his two daughters. His ships had only just docked by the harbour. Jon left with thirteen ships but came back with twenty five. Ships bringing in spices and silks from the far eastern shores of Essos, as far away as the Jade Sea. There were swords made of old Valyrian steel from_ Qohor_ and armour for the Crown Forces. Horses and cattle from the plains of the Dothraki Sea that could be bred and reared. Lady Missandei had sent a few hundred of former_ Unsullied_ soldiers, the best that she could find to serve the Queen. There were gold, silver, incense and other minerals Jon had brought back. Grains of wheat and quinoa as well as many other exotic foods were shipped. All goods and riches that had came from the vast Eastern Targaryen Empire that Dany had conquered. One of the palace advisors that went with Jon and the prince, was amazed by the riches and sheer size of the East, he was even heard saying that, _"The sun never sets on the Targaryen Empire"_

"Papa!"

He looked up the grand marble staircase and saw Aerysa and Lyanna running down towards him.

"Papa!" The girls screamed excitedly as they rushed to him.

Jon bent and enveloped both girls in his arms, peppering kisses on their faces and cheeks. He pulled away and looked at his princesses. Aerysa was already eight years of age and Lyanna just turned six. Both of them had their hair tried back in braids like their mother. One white blonde and the other with raven hair, dark like Jon's. He kissed both of their heads firmly. He looked at their faces. They had the same violet eyes as their mother's and Dany's heart shaped face. They were beautiful just like their mother.

"I missed you so much..." Jon whispered and hugged them again. Aerysa looked at him and smiled. She then looked at her twin brother who was standing behind just looking at his sisters.

"You're all tanned..." The princess commented. Eddy only shrugged before replying his twin. "It's hot and sunny in the East."

Aerysa smiled and rushed to hug Eddy who only stood awkward and still. She also kissed his cheek while Jon carried Lyanna up. The youngest of his children just leaned against him and kissed Jon's cheek.

"Don't go again Papa...Don't leave us." Lyanna whispered.

"I won't. I promise you." Jon said to his daughter and hugged her close.

He smiled at Aerysa and at Eddy. Eddy was showing Aerysa a braided leather band on his wrist that had a lapis lazuli stone. He took another one from his pocket and tied it on Aerysa's wrist.

"See it's a match...I got this at Astapor" Eddy smiled at his twin. "I've got one for Lyanna too."

"Is it dangerous the East?" Aerysa asked him.

Eddy gave a shrug. "It could be. But I learned to shoot an arrow on horseback. So I guess it's not that dangerous for me..."

"You rode on horseback and shoot an arrow?" Aerysa gasped. "Aren't you too young for that?"

"It's normal. Dothraki boys start doing that at six." Eddy explained. He looked at his father who was still talking to Lyanna.

"Papa's not any good at it," Eddy leaned and whispered in his twin's ear. Aerysa covered her mouth and giggled.

Jon looked around when he realized that someone was missing. The most important person in his life. He looked up the staircase wondering if his wife was standing there and if Dany would come down.

"Where is your mother?" Jon asked his girls. His dark eyes grew worried as unfounded fears started to cumulate in his mind. _Where is his wife? Where is Dany? What had happened?_

"_Issa_ went up North." Aerysa replied her violet eyes looking at her father's. "She's at The Wall with Ghost."

* * *

_Beyond The Wall_

_Wildling Camp._

Dany sat by the fire, thick furs and leather covering her. She still felt cold despite having layers of fur. The blizzard winds blew strong outside the large tent. The climate beyond the wall was colder than she had expected. One of the wildling men gave her cup of warm ale and Dany nodded gratefully. She looked at Ser Jorah who was shivering as well. A band of Nightswatchmen was with her, as well as the Queen's guards. Ghost stood by her side and she scratched the direwolf's head.

"You have to forgive me Your Grace..." Mance Rayder spoke with a smirk as his unexpected guests drank. "We are not used to having Queens or anyone so far South up here..."

"Yes..." Dany spoke and shivered. "I still thank you for your hospitality."

"Well" Mance shrugged. "You brought your dragon...I couldn't be too hostile."

"I come here with peace terms..." Dany said and looked at Ser Jorah. He nodded and took out his scroll.

"Oh...we don't need no contracts here..." Mance said. "What is it that you want?" He asked her gruffly.

"I don't want any of your men attacking the Night's Watch and the North anymore..." Dany spoke, her violet eyes staring at Mance.

"My brother in law, Bran Stark, the Lord of Winterfell has reported on several occasions, wildling men crossing the Wall, harming the people in the North...despite numerous warnings."

"He can't come here to tell me himself?" Mance asked.

"I'm sure you are aware that Lord Stark has trouble with movement..." Dany said, still annoyed with the wildling chieftain.

"So he sends the Queen to do his bidding..." Mance said and looked at her before chuckling. "Very grand of him."

"He didn't send me. I came on my own." Dany said in an imperious tone.

"And where's that husband of yours? Jon Snow?" Mance asked. He gave a mocking laugh. "Never thought he'd be the one to be King. Never in a million years..."

Dany rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "The peace terms Lord Rayder..."

"Oh I'm no Lord Your Grace..." Mance said with a toothy grin. "Just an outlaw leading my band of wildlings tribes."

"Then you should control them better!" Dany snapped at him. She was losing her patience with Mance Rayder. And the extreme cold was getting to her. "Tell them to stop robbing and killing and raping my people..."

"Your people? _Your people_ is it?" Mance growled, his tone gone indignant as his eyes glared at the Queen. He moved closer to her.

"People in The North were once children of the First Men, just like we are. Free folk who worship the same Old gods. They are not your people Your Grace! You are a Targaryen. Your ancestors didn't even come from here!"

Ghost growled seeing how aggressive Mance Rayder was. He stood up and barked fiercely at Mance who stepped back seeing the hostile direwolf. Dany had to tug on Ghost's leather collar hard, trying to calm the direwolf down.

"I am the Queen of all Seven Kingdoms. Lord Rayder!" Dany said sharply and stood up.

She didn't care that Mance Rayder was a huge man who towered above her and was twice her size. Dany was not intimidated at all. She was a Targaryen Queen with dragons at her command. Seeing that, Ser Jorah rose and the Queen's guards as well. Mance Rayder's men held their clubs and axes ready to attack. Dany looked at Ser Jorah and shook her head. Ghost was still snarling at Mance.

"Seven Kingdoms which includes The North, where my husband and his family come from. They are under my protection and if you can't control your band of wildlings from ever coming over The Wall and causing harm to MY PEOPLE. I will strike you! I will burn your camps! I will take what lies beyond the Wall with fire and blood if I have to!" Dany spoke furiously.

"You've just seen one of my dragons Lord Rayder. I assure you there are seven more." She warned him.

Mance Rayder ground his teeth and stepped back signalling his men to move back which they reluctantly did.

"Alright, what is this peace terms of yours?" Mance finally asked. "I will hear it now."

"Stop your people from coming over The Wall and we will help you fight the White Walkers," Dany spoke as she breathed in deeply to calm herself down. "In the event they were to return."

"With your dragons you mean?" Mance asked her. "You think your dragons can defeat them?" He then gave a hearty laugh and shook his head.

"You clearly know nothing Your Grace just as your husband did, apparently."

"You will not mock me or the King Lord Rayder! I will have your tongue if you do it again..." Dany spoke angrily, her violet eyes glaring at him.

"You may be the Queen down South Your Grace, but up here, beyond the Wall, I am King." Mance said to her. He then looked at his men and gave his order.

"Please make sure that Her Grace..." Mance said tersely and glanced at Dany. "And her men are fed and set up tents for the night... Escort them to the Wall when the sun rises tomorrow and see them on their way."

* * *

Mance Rayder sent some of his best outriders to escort the Queen and her men and he was generous to pack some supplies for them. They stopped by river stream in the afternoon for rest and meals and Dany sat on the large rock. Ser Jorah was speaking to one of the wildlings. She sighed and felt Ghost nuzzling her. Dany smiled and patted the direwolf. She felt the freezing cold wind despite the thick layers of fur that covered her. Dany hugged Ghost close to her and stared at her feet. She was wearing thick leather boots, covered with fur that had special soles so that she could walk easier in the snow. She found them too heavy that her steps were slow and arduous at times. Dany was surprised to find a small shrub of blue winter roses among the snow. She bent and plucked one flower up and stared at it for a while.

"Surprise that it can grow here..." Ser Jorah commented as Dany looked at the flower. "It's a wasteland around these parts..." He sighed and looked around seeing the frozen white tundra with so little vegetation.

"Nothing but ice and snow," Ser Jorah said, shaking his head and shivered in the cold.

Dany grew quiet. All she could think of was Jon as she held the blue rose to her nose and breathed in the rose's scent. It still smelled sweet. She wondered what Jon would think of, if he knew she was there, in the freezing wilderness beyond The Wall where he had been once. Dany remembered the stories he would tell her. Of his time on The Wall and beyond it, his encounters with the wildlings and wights.

"Your Grace..." Ser Jorah's voice sounded worried.

Dany realized that her finger had pricked one of the rose's thorn. Blood had dripped on snow covered ground. The red droplets against the stark pure white snow. Dany gave a wince and immediately sucked on the finger.

"Are you alright?" Ser Jorah asked her.

"It's just a scratch..." Dany said and gave a slight shrug.

Ser Jorah gave a nod and handed her some milk with brandy that they warmed over the fire. Dany drank the milk and smiled at Ghost before offering some to him.

* * *

_Castle Black_

They stood there just staring at each other. Jon looked at his wife. He hadn't seen her in three years and for a moment, he was enraptured seeing her. He forgot how tired he was journeying up North in the carriage, bringing his three children with him. Dany was wearing a heavy white fur cloak on her shoulders. Her long, wavy, silvery white blonde hair with the usual braids that was tied up and some of it flowed in waves. She looked so beautiful to Jon, ethereal, untouchable and his heart ached seeing her violet eyes and how sad and alone they seemed. Dany just stared back at him too stunned herself. They were in the main hall of the Night's Watch headquarters. A place where Jon had been trained to serve and where he was once Lord Commander of.

"You're back..." Dany finally spoke, breaking the silence. It had been so long. She blinked her eyes wondering if she was imagining him.

"I arrived a few days ago..." Jon said. He then saw his direwolf Ghost who stood beside Dany. Jon gave a whistle and Ghost ran to him.

"And how is Eddy? How is our son?" Dany asked, while Jon scratched his beloved direwolf and let Ghost licked his hand.

"He is well. Eddy's taller now and has a bit of a tan..." Jon said, a smile on his face as he thought of his son.

"Did he like his trip to the East?" Dany asked. She had missed her son terribly.

"He thought it was a huge adventure and he speaks a little Dothraki now..." Jon said. "He rides like one too. They taught him to shoot an arrow on horseback."

"And did you learn that as well?" Dany asked him.

"I'm horrible at it. I missed the target all the time" Jon said. "Eddy laughs at me..."

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Dany said with a smile. She then looked at Jon, her face had gotten a little glum.

"The girls missed you, you know." She told him.

"I missed them too..." Jon said. "I sent letters every day."

"It's not the same..." Dany sighed. She had read the letters to her daughters. All the exciting tales the Crown Prince had experienced with his father, the King during their long visit to Essos.

"I know..." Jon said softly. He then looked at her. Dany gave a nod and bit her lip.

"What are you doing here?" Jon asked. "I thought you'd be in Red Keep. I came up North immediately when they told me you're here. The children are in Winterfell right now. I brought them with me. I couldn't leave them in the Capital again." Jon told her.

"Ser Jorah told me, a few weeks ago the real reason why you left..." Dany said. She then breathed deeply, and held onto to the chair's back, as if steadying herself.

"At first I thought you were angry with me, I thought you left me and you brought our son with you as some form of revenge."

"I told you I'd be back Dany..." Jon said and sighed. "I just needed to be away..."

"Yes. That was what you told me." She said, her voice turned wistful. "To see the empire in the East you said..."

"I...I didn't know what else to think Jon. You were gone for so long, it was only when Ser Jorah told me the truth. He said you needed to go because you had to find me..."

Dany then stared at him. "What did he mean by that Jon?"

"Exactly as he said." Jon spoke and moved closer. "I had to go find you and know who you really are..."

"And you took so long?" Dany asked him, crossing her arms.

"I got lost a few times..." Jon said and smiled. "I went to Braavos with Eddy." Jon said. "We saw that house with the red door where you lived with your brother. I bought it..." He told her.

Dany looked at him, bewildered as he continued. "It's yours Dany. No one will ever kick you out of there again."

"I met Magister Illyrio. He said he knew who I was right away and he introduced me to the Dothrakis. Eddy and I rode to the large plains with them with the King's guards. Aegon flying above us. We slept under the stars and I told him the story about his brave and beautiful _Issa_..." Jon said.

"Then we went to Qarth..."

"You brought him to the _Red Waste_?" Dany asked Jon. She suddenly looked anxious. Jon realized that Dany wouldn't want her son to go to such a dangerous desert.

"No I didn't." He told her and shook his head. "It was too dangerous for him...so we sailed from Astapor."

"The Qarthians were nice and welcoming, I lived in a palace and there were many women wearing dresses with one of their breasts out. It was a bit strange at first..." Jon said and shook his head a little. He remembered how his retinue of armed guards, servants and officials were baffled seeing the bare breasts so blatantly and shamelessly on display.

"But I got used to it."

"Did you bed any of them?" Dany asked him, her tone had changed, her eyes narrowing.

"I didn't. I couldn't." Jon said to her. "I was celibate the entire time."

"So was I..." Dany told him. "Our daughters slept with me in our bed while you were gone. Every single night."

"Lord Jaime left the Capital and is presiding over Casterly Rock now..." Dany informed him. Jon nodded. He knew about it, Arya had written to him.

"He told me he loved me." Dany said.

"And what did you tell him?" Jon asked, eyes never leaving hers.

"That I still love my husband and that Lord Jaime needed to go even though I value his contributions. He left weeks later."

She then smiled softly at Jon. "I think it's for the best."

Jon looked at her, part of him relieved to hear that. He never doubted that Dany would remain faithful to him just as it had never crossed his mind to take another woman. There were opportunities, many in fact. His hosts had offered the most beautiful of girls to keep him company and every one of them was baffled when the King shook his head and said _No_. They even thought that he might have been a _Eunuch_. Everywhere Jon went, no woman no matter how beautiful or exotic could compare to his wife. None had the lustrous silky, silver blonde hair, the lovely heart shaped porcelain face and her wide violet eyes. None of them smelled as she did or had her sweet smile. None of them bore his children or could make him happy and make his heart ache at the same time. Dany was the Queen of his heart and she would always be. He walked closer towards her and Dany moved closer to him as well.

"Where else did you go Jon?"

"Slaver's Bay." Jon replied softly, his dark eyes never leaving hers. "Astapor, Meereen and Yunkai, all the nine Free Cities. Just like I mentioned in my letters. I met Missande. She said meeting you was the best moments in her life. She said you made her a governor of Meereen."

"Yes..." Dany smiled as she thought of her old handmaiden. "She is very smart and very loyal to me."

"Missandei's married now and she has a daughter named after you..." Jon spoke. "I invited her and her family to King's Landing. They should be on their way..."

"I even met with Stannis Baratheon in Volantis..."

"That must be one strange meeting..." Dany commented.

"He's dying. From consumption I think..." Jon told her. "He wants his bones to be buried in Dragonstone next to his wife Selyse and asked me to help him..."

"And you said Yes?" Dany asked him.

"I couldn't refuse his request." Jon said and gave a tired sigh. "And he did help me once, not so long ago..."

"While you were gone, I went on a trip myself too..." Dany told him.

"I saw the wildings and went into their camp. I think I shocked them with Drogon but they were quite welcoming..." She said sarcastically.

Jon looked at her, surprised. "You went beyond the Wall?"

"I just returned. It was freezing cold the whole time..." Dany said and shivered, pulling the cloak tighter around her. "I met your old friend Mance Rayder. He is quite a character."

"He's not really what I would call a friend..." Jon said with a slight frown as he thought of Mance.

Jon grew quiet when he realized that in a way Dany was retracing his steps as well, coming up North to Castle Black, The Wall and beyond it. Strange that they each had journeyed into places the other had been in the past. Places and experiences that shaped both of them to be who they are now.

"We are so different Jon." Dany said with a sad sigh. "Maybe we were being too optimistic...but it couldn't work could it?" She asked him. "The two of us together?"

"No don't say that Dany..." He told her and took her hand. She just looked down as she squeezed his callused hand. Jon tilted her chin up.

"These years without you, trying to see the world through your eyes, trying to revisit your past and going through the same journey you did. It made me love you even more than I ever thought possible. You were so strong Dany. You are still so strong. Strong and brave and kind...Doing what you did." Jon said and Dany was surprised seeing the tears in his eyes.

It affected her so and she went to gently brushed them away. Jon immediately pulled her in his arms and kissed her lips. Dany hadn't felt his lips on her in a long while. The kiss grew deep and needy. Dany suddenly pulled away and cried. She looked at him and suddenly grew angry and upset. Dany slapped his face hard while she sobbed. Whatever emotions that she had buried inside for the past three years just came back up. Jon was stunned by her sudden volatile change. He touched his cheek where Dany had slapped. It stung. It really did.

"You left me Jon!" She screamed at him. "You took our son and left! And I begged you and you still left. I was crying like a fool, a Queen begging her husband to be with her!"

Seeing her crying and upset, Jon pulled her in. Dany struggled for a while in his arms before leaning against him. "I swear I will never make you cry again Dany. Forgive me..." He whispered.

"I will never forgive you for this Jon..." Dany whispered harshly back.

"I know Dany..." He said kissing her head, pulling her close to him, not wanting to let her go. "I know..."

"The next time you try to leave me Jon, I will kill you myself..." Dany said to him sharply as she pulled away, her violet eyes staring right at him. She stepped away from the embrace and moved from his touch.

"I can live without you now...I've learned how to." Dany said to him in a high handed tone. Her violet eyes never leaving his. "And don't think that I won't."

Dany turned around and walked away, her posture regal as her head held high. She then gave a whistle and Jon watched as Ghost left him to be with her. It never happened before, that his loyal direwolf would ever leave him to go with someone else. He stood there bewildered. Jon only wondered what was going through his volatile wife's mind.

* * *

Jon was staring at the ceiling that night, he could hear the howling wind and he pulled the fur covers over him, the fire was burning in the fireplace and yet he felt cold. He heard the sound of the door creaking and then soft footsteps, before the woman got on the bed and under the covers with him. The King's guards that were standing outside his door had let the woman in. Jon gave a small smile and thanked whatever gods or god above. He turned and pulled Dany in his arms. She kissed his lips and he kissed her back, it got passionate and needy, both of them wanting more of each other and yet couldn't get enough. Jon pulled her fur lined night gown down and started trailing kisses down her neck and breasts and to her private feminine petals, worshipping her body the only way he knew how. Her cries of passion filled the room and made him soar with joy.

Their lovemaking was hurried and clumsy like young, inexperienced lovers. They were getting reacquainted with each other's bodies. Both desperate for the others touch, and if they had waited any longer, they'd just disintegrate into ashes. For Jon it felt like he was truly coming home in her arms. To feel her lips, touch her skin, and taste her. He wanted to give everything to her, because the three years without Dany, Jon felt as if something was missing. He went to the East trying to understand her. The girl she was, her past experiences. And through it all, Jon realized that he couldn't live without her. That no matter what she did to him, no matter how severe or humiliating or hurtful, he could always forgive her. He loved her too much not to. It didn't matter to Jon if she asked for his forgiveness or not. None of it really matters. Just Dany and his three children.

Jon held her close to him, afterwards, both of them under the fur covers as the icy cold wind howled in the night. He breathed in the scent of flowers in her iridescent silver hair and pulled her close to him, so he could feel their naked skin against each other, the sheen of sweat on both of them.

"I saw your name the one you carved on the wooden bed in that house in Braavos. Yours and Viserys'." Jon said and kissed the back of her shoulder, his nose nuzzling her skin. "And the three headed dragon."

"You were in my old room?" Dany turned and smiled at him.

She relaxed as Jon ran his fingers through her silvery, white blonde locks. It felt good being in his arms again. It had been so long without him.

"The bay window faced the gardens," Jon said and looked at his wife.

"I kept seeing you as a little girl, just sitting there with your silvery braids, staring at the blue skies, maybe dreaming of me, the lonely boy across the Narrow Sea in Winterfell..."

Dany laughed softly. "Don't be silly Jon. I didn't even know about you then..." She pursed her lips for a while. "I thought my brother and I were the last of our House."

"You were always with me Dany, even when you're not physically there. I could feel you somehow." Jon said and stared at her.

"You were right with me the entire time I was in the East. Every time I see our son and his smile and look in his eyes or hear his laughter. You were there..." Jon spoke.

"We must never be apart again..." Dany said as she held Jon's face with both hands. Her violet eyes filled with love as she looked at him.

"I know now that I can be without you Jon. That I can live without you. That I can be strong and sit on the Iron Throne and be Queen of all Seven Kingdoms. And you can exist without me too. But I hated it Jon..."

"I hated it..." Dany said again, it came out like a whimper. "Every single moment you're not with me...I wanted to scream. What use is that ugly Iron chair if you're not there...Seven kingdoms couldn't fill the void when you left me Jon."

Dany started tearing up again and Jon moved to rub her tears away. He sighed and kissed her lips deeply. "I hated it too...I will never be away from you. This is the first and the last time. I promise." He told her, meaning every single word he said.

"I'll still not forgive you for this Jon." Dany said in a serious tone. "For taking our son away from me, for leaving the girls...for leaving me..."

"You agreed to let me go." Jon spoke and looked at his wife a little strangely.

"Because you came to me and asked for my consent Jon." Dany responded.

"I didn't want to seem unbending or unreasonable..." She then scowled at him. "And I truly believe you will come back to me and that maybe we needed the time apart from each other."

"But if you ever ask me to let you go wander off on your own again with our son and leave me at home for years and months on end...I will lock you up in the dungeons..." She warned him.

"I swear it Jon. This is the once and only time I let you go. No more. I won't have it." Dany said vehemently to him.

"It will never happen again." Jon told her and pulled Dany close kissing her fervently. "I swear it won't. I can never leave your side again Dany. It hurts too much."

They made love again several times that night, both never wanting to be away from the other. When Dany finally fell asleep in his arms, Jon held her close to him. His arms wrapped around her, keeping her warm. She snuggled even closer to his warmth, clutching to him tight afraid to let him go. And Jon stayed awake most of the night as he held Dany, almost afraid that if he had closed his eyes, she wouldn't be there when he woke up.


	22. Chapter 22 Ten Years of Peace

_Note: Well some people were annoyed that Dany hasn't apologized. And of course, I meant for that to happen just not so soon. My Bad. Anyway this chapter will jump ten years in the future after a few scenes. So more family drama with old enemies that can never be discounted or forgotten...I'm quite nervous. I'm not sure how this will be received but it was playing in my mind and I typed it down as how I saw it being played. SO yah blame my brain if you hate it...But it just happens. I have like no freaking control...the story and ideas morph and takes on a life of its own...Aaarghhh. Loong chapter ahead._

* * *

Chapter Twenty Two.

_Winterfell_

They stayed in Castle Black for two more nights before heading back to Winterfell where the children were. Arya and her family had travelled up with Jon and Lady Stark was there to look after the royal children. She was very warm and loving to the prince and princesses, treating them as if they were her own grandchildren and Jon was grateful for that. Despite the estranged relationship he had with Lady Stark, he knew that deep inside, she was a loving mother and grandmother. Jon smiled as he stood by the door way, watching as his wife told stories of her experiences beyond The Wall to the children. All three of them snuggled in bed together that night with their mother, thick furs and blankets covering them.

It was cold that night with snow falling heavily over parts of the North. There was talk that maybe a blizzard storm might descend on the region. The superstitious people in The North saw the blizzard as a bad omen. It would be dark and cold and bad things happened when it was dark and cold. Memories and stories of old days like _The Long_ _Night_ still haunted the North. Jon wasn't too worried, there had been no sights of White Walkers in the past years since the end of the Wars. He was sure that the threat had been contained and there was also the fact that he had dragons with him. Eight dragons that were formidable weapons in any fight. The females were not able to blow fire as fiercely as the males, just enough to cook pieces of meat and fish, but they could rip enemies in shreds if they wanted to. The only problem with the dragons was that they hated the cold. They would transport the Queen and King to the Wall or beyond it but they wouldn't stay long, often flying back South to Dragonstone or Dorne where the arid, dry and warm climate was more to their liking.

"Alright..." Dany smiled at her children. "It's late...Time for bed now my Darlings..."

"No..." Lyanna shook her head. "Another story _Issa_."

"Yes please..." Eddy said.

"No..." Dany shook her head firmly. "I've already told you three stories. It's late and you need to sleep..."

"Can you sleep with us _Issa_?" Aerysa asked and gave a yawn.

Dany looked at her daughter and suddenly felt guilty. She had been sleeping with her daughters almost every night when Jon was away and they had been used to have their mother with them. But now that her husband was back, she just wanted to be with him. She wondered if that made her a bad mother, that she would rather be in Jon's arms that cold night than be with her children.

"Come now Issa needs to rest..." Jon said as he walked in. He went to his children and kissed their head and hugged them.

Dany smiled as she got out of the bed. She pulled the covers over her babies and kissed them good night. They whined for a while but snuggled underneath the furs. Dany looked at the children's nannies and nurse and gave a nod. Three women would stay in the room, along with five King's guard to watch over the sleeping prince and princesses. Two King's guards will be guarding the door. Extra care and security for the most precious possessions she and Jon could ever have. She was almost reluctant to leave them when she saw they were sleeping. Jon tugged her hand and pulled her away.

In their large guest chambers in Winterfell, Dany's handmaidens' brushed her hair while Jon looked through the scrolls Arya had brought with her. The many official state documents that he had to read through.

"So there'll be only one sitting on the Iron Throne?" Jon asked her. Dany looked at him and gave a nod. "I took down the replica Throne and replaced it with a smaller chair..."

"I have to sit on the Iron Throne?" Jon asked her again. He looked at the documents.

"You are the King Jon..." Dany said with a bemused smile. She then looked at her handmaidens and asked them to leave. The three ladies gave a bow and headed out. Dany walked towards him, seated on the large arm chair

"Succession laws would favour you since you're the surviving son of Rhaegar and he did marry your mother, which makes you the legitimate King..." Dany told him. He smiled and pulled her down to his lap.

"You should sit on it. I want it to be you..." Jon said huskily and nuzzled her nose, kissing her lips. "The Queen of my heart and all Seven Kingdoms..."

"And you're the King of mine." Dany told him and kissed him back, her arms wrapped around him.

"We can sit on it together..." Jon said with a sigh. "I never liked it anyway. It's sharp with pointy blades..."

"I asked for some smiths to blunt the blades on the Throne but Lord Tyrion said that it would be pointless..." Dany muttered and looked at Jon.

"Aegon didn't want any Kings to sit easy... He wanted us to know that being King or Queen would be hard and we have to fight for it every single day."

"I'm sick of fighting..." Jon moaned. "Every single time in my life is like a battle..." He then smiled lovingly at his wife. "Only when I met you my Love, I've known peace."

"It is the same for me..." Dany said and held his face gently.

"You are my peace Jon." She whispered and kissed his lips softly. "Although you infuriate me at times." She said and looked pointedly at him.

"Like when you told me to leave you alone that night." Dany said and suddenly got off his lap. Jon laughed softly seeing the frown on Dany's face. She had her mercurial Dragon temper back again.

"You're never going to let that go are you?" He asked his wife.

"No Jon. Never..." Dany said to him, her violet eyes blazing. "I stripped naked and you told me you did not want me!"

"Come here..." Jon said as he stood up from his chair, his arms opened as he beckoned her.

"NO..." Dany said stubbornly and crossed her arms.

"Come here." Jon told her firmly, his dark eyes staring at her.

"No..." Dany uttered back and shook her head. "Maybe I should go sleep with the children?" She suggested with nonchalance. "They would need me more than you...I am their mother."

She gave Jon a smirk and turned to look at the door.

"Don't you dare..." Jon warned her. Dany bit her lip and gave a playful smile. She ran towards the door and Jon rushed towards her. He grabbed Dany in his arms and held her to him.

"Let me go Jon..." Dany whispered as he hugged her from behind. He only held her closer to him.

"I can't..." Jon murmured in her hair, breathing the faint flowery scent that he loved. His arms tightened around her waist. "I won't ever let you go..."

"You don't need me do you Jon?" Dany asked him softly. Her voice had gotten all breathy. "You've been away for so long..."

"I will always need you..." He said huskily back. Jon turned her around and leaned his head on hers. "Always and always need you."

Dany looked up at him and leaned to kiss his lips. "We must never fight like that again. I know I have wronged you and I am sorry..." She said.

"I am sorry for everything Jon. Will you forgive me for that? For hurting you?" Dany asked, her lashes fluttered as she looked straight in his eyes. "For calling you weak when I know you are not?"

"I already have..." He whispered to her. Jon leaned forward and nuzzled his nose on hers which made her giggled at the ticklish feel of the bristles on his chin. "I love you Dany. I love you too much to not forgive you."

"I love you too Jon," Dany sighed and let herself fall in his arms. That feeling of warmth and love that only he would bring. She didn't think she could let that feeling go.

"Don't ever leave me again Jon and don't ever let anything come between us...I don't think I can bear any cold silences of yours..."

"I know. I am sorry too..."Jon whispered and kissed the top of her head. "I am sorry for ever making you doubt about us..."

Dany smiled and kissed his chest, right on top of his beating heart. "I never doubted you one bit Jon. Not ever for a second. We belong together like you said...Maybe we always have..."

Jon smiled and pulled her up, kissing her again. She wrapped her arms around and stumbled backward pulling him along as they got into bed. Dany looked up at Jon and smiled, he bent to kiss her deeply again and she let herself be lost in his deep kisses and warm embrace. The cold wind blew harshly but it didn't matter to the two lovers. They had each other to keep them warm through the night.

* * *

_King's Landing._

Tyrion was smiling from ear to ear that morning. The King was back in the Capital along with the Crown Prince and by all accounts, thanks to Varys' little birds. Things with the Royal couple were going well. They were back to their happy, loving selves. A Small Council meeting was to be held, the Queen had an announcement to make and everyone wondered what it was. Everyone was discussing in the round table and then the Queen and King made their entrance and all stood up. The King and Queen sat down on their chairs that were on a raised platform in front of the large round table.

"I called you all for a meeting today.." The Queen started. "I thank all of you for your presence and for your hard work and loyalty to me..." She then looked at the King and squeezed his hand.

"I've looked through all the documents you've prepared for the co-regency of the Kingdoms and I have made my decision..." She said.

The Lords in the Small Council looked at each other and then at the royal couple.

"I will renounce my entire claim to the Iron Throne and step down as regent. The King will now rule the Seven Kingdoms solely by himself..."

Tyrion's eyes grew wide, his eye balls could have come out of their sockets. Every lord in the Small Council was baffled and shocked by what the Queen just said. The King himself looked surprised and stared at his wife.

"What just happened?" Ser Loras asked and looked at Varys. The Master of Whisperer himself looked confused.

"Surely this must be a mistake Your Grace..." The Master of Laws spoke.

"You are a Targaryen Your Grace..." Another minister chimed in. "The only one of your House..."

"No..." The Queen shook her head. "I am not the only Targaryen..."

"Oh the gods..." Tyrion groaned softly and shook his head.

"She's not going to say it is she?" Varys whispered anxiously to him. "She cannot Lord Tyrion. Do something..." Varys urged.

"The King is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne." The Queen announced. She looked at the King and he just stared at her in shock. He wasn't expecting that at all.

"Dany..." The King called her and held her arm. Tyrion saw his chance and immediately stood up.

"Alright! Everybody out except for the Smaller Council!" Tyrion yelled at top of his voice.

The lords looked at each other rather awkwardly before making their leaves. Such commotion in a Small Council meeting so early in the day confused the lords. They weren't that happy to leave and grumbled amongst themselves. The sounds of chairs being dragged screeched through the room until only the five remaining members of the Smaller Council and the royal couple were left. Tyrion looked at Varys and both of them moved closer to the where the Queen and King were. Willas Tyrell, the new Prime Master who had replaced Jaime Lannister just months before wasn't sure what was going on. Ser Jorah stood silent and Arya was confused.

"What is going on?" Arya asked. She looked at her brother and The Queen. The Queen sighed and sat down on her chair.

"_Khaleesi_..." Ser Jorah called her.

"I..." The Queen spoke. She then looked at her husband mournfully. "I am not the rightful heir. I have no claim to the Iron Throne." She said aloud, which made everyone else stared at her, surprised that the Queen would say that.

"Dany...what are you talking about?" Jon asked his wife.

"I have wronged you Jon..." Dany spoke.

"I have disrespected you in front of everyone..." Dany said, her voice wavered for a while. "And I asked for your forgiveness Jon...You left because of what happened."

"Stop it..." He said softly. Jon went to her and pulled her up from the chair. He hugged her close. "I forgive you..." He whispered to her. "You know I have. You don't have to do this."

"I want to..." Dany said to him. "Let me please..." She asked him, her violet eyes staring at his imploring him. Jon sighed and reluctantly nodded.

She then looked at her four advisors. "I had disrespected the King in front of all of you years before. I have failed my duties as a wife to His Grace and now I am asking for his forgiveness with all of you present. I would apologize in front of all Seven Kingdoms if that is what he wants."

"I don't want that." Jon said and held his wife close, hugging her from behind. "I never wanted that..." He whispered in her ear. Dany turned and looked at Jon. She took his hand.

"We don't need two regents. One is enough. It should be you Jon. You are the son of Rhaegar. You are his legitimate son and heir. The Iron Throne is yours"

Hearing that Willas stared at Arya who sighed and only gave a shrug. Varys looked at Tyrion and both of them were as usual, at their wits end. The Royal couple had always been unpredictable. They wouldn't know what to expect and had learned it best to ride the storm until it passes.

"I...I don't want it..." Jon said, almost stammering. "Not if I lose you..."

He took her hand and clutched it to him. "I can't lose you Dany."

"You won't lose me Jon..." Dany told him and gave a smile, tears fell from her eyes and he brushed it aside. "I realized all this, is not important...Not if you're not with me..."

"Then I am with you." Jon told her firmly. "I will always be with you. I won't go off again..."

"If that is what the _Khaleesi _wants..." Ser Jorah said in a solemn tone. He looked at Willas Tyrell who was the Prime Master.

"Wait..." Willas spoke and his green eyes just went wide, his face a mask of confusion. "Did I hear that right? The King is the son of Prince Rhaegar?"

"Yes you did." Arya quipped. "We all knew that for quite some time. His mother is my aunt, Lyanna Stark."

"We are talking about Prince Rhaegar Targaryen?" Willas asked again perplexed. He looked at Ser Jorah.

"That makes you the eighth person alive other than the King and Queen to know this." Tyrion said to the Lord of Highgarden. "Welcome to the Smaller Council Lord Tyrell..."

Willas just shook his head, still bewildered by what had just been revealed. He looked at the Queen and the King. "So what happens now?" Willas asked.

"Do you really want the King to sit on the Iron Throne Your Grace? Alone?" Willas asked the Queen. He was the Prime Master and he had a heavy responsibility to the people.

"It's his." Dany replied. "I'm his wife and consort. Jon is the true King. The legitimate king."

"No..." Jon shook his head. "You are my partner and my equal. We will rule together..." He smiled as he squeezed Dany's hand tight.

"The Queen and I will rule together until the Crown Prince is eighteen. We will retire. And he will rule with his sisters as co regents. The dragon has three heads and our three children will rule together." Jon said as he looked at the Smaller Council.

"And if you have more children Your Grace?" Varys asked as he looked at the King.

"Then they will all rule together..." Jon said. "Seven Kingdoms and the entire Targaryen Empire in the East."

"That's going to be a tough one to sell in Parliament..." Tyrion spoke. He looked at the King and Queen.

"Are you really going to retire and abdicate the Throne?" Tyrion asked them. "This is not some joke you know. We don't want another civil war simmering if there is ever a power vacuum."

Jon smiled. He looked at Dany and both of them were smiling at each other. "Do you want to?" He whispered to her.

"Is that what you really want Jon?" Dany asked him softly. Jon nodded. She kissed him and nodded as well. "Then I want that too..."

"Beg your pardon Your Grace. But what are you going to do when the Crown Prince is of age?" Willas asked. It was never heard of before, a King leaving the Iron Throne voluntarily.

"I'm going to live a simple life," Jon replied with a chuckle. "Just a simple life in the countryside. Maybe I'll even pick up farming..." He then looked at Dany and kissed her quickly again.

"And Her Grace will learn to bake bread..." Jon continued. Hearing that made Dany giggled. She hugged her husband and just leaned in his arms.

"The people have to know the truth." Willas spoke. He looked at the Royal couple and his four colleagues.

"The King is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, if that is true the people deserved to know. He is the true heir and King."

"Then tell them..." Jon sighed. He then looked at his wife. "I'm sick of all the secrets. Let them know. Targaryens have been marrying within the family. What does it matter?"

"Will your children be following the tradition as well?" Willas asked. His tone was hesitant.

"I hope not..." Dany said and blinked her eyes.

The thought of Eddy marrying any of his sisters, Dany didn't know if she could allow it. Dynastic incest had been a Targaryen tradition. For years when she was younger, Dany had thought that she would marry her brother Viserys. Viserys had told her the importance of maintaining the pure bloodline and Targaryen heritage. But Dany did not want it enforced on her children. She looked at Jon and saw that he was worried as well.

"The public doesn't need to know..." Arya spoke out. She looked at her brother and then at Willas.

"The last thing we need is a public outcry that the King and Queen are blood relatives...and that might spark another uprising among the Septs again." Arya continued. Willas looked at her and pondered for a while.

"Lady Arya has a point..." Ser Jorah spoke in his gravelly voice. "This is a secret within the Smaller Council. Besides..." He sighed.

"We have a lot of things to work on than the relations between the two monarchs. The Crown Prince is eight. In ten years he will inherit the Throne and the vast empire with it. "

"Ser Jorah is right." Tyrion spoke. He looked at his colleagues. "We have a lot of loose ends to tie. The administration and organization of the Eastern Empire and provincial government matters in the Seven Kingdoms as well..."

* * *

_Ten Years Later._

The years that followed saw a massive overhaul in governance and administration. The Seven Kingdoms and the Eastern Empire underwent many changes. Some saw it as good progress while others weren't quite happy. It had to be well organized and efficient and being King, Jon saw to it that it was. He often travelled to the East with his beloved Queen and they would travel around the Seven Kingdoms as well to see their subjects and the development of their Kingdoms. Jon found Willas Tyrell to be a competent Prime Master. Willas had a strong work ethic and was deeply committed to his job and responsibilities. He made the move to King's Landing much to Lady Olenna's disappointment. The King had ordered lovely, large palace built for the Prime Master and his family right next to Red Keep.

Willas Tyrell was largely responsible for the organization and administration of the Seven Kingdoms and the Eastern Empire. He drew up a centralized system of governance and drew out the hierarchical structure. Various bodies and state offices were properly and systematically looked at and Willas made sure only the most competent were hired. Rank wasn't something that could be inherited and must be earned in the Offices of the Crown. It gave many non highborn citizens a chance for advancement. Willas knew how to rein in the Lords in Parliament and had dealt with the corruption in the offices of the Crown, Parliament and the elite merchant class in the city. _Who would have thought the friendly mild mannered, smiling Lord of Highgarden had an iron fist encased in a velvet glove?_ His reputation as a stellar statesman in King's Landing grew and Lady Olenna beamed with pride hearing how well her eldest grandson was doing.

When Ser Jorah retired and went off to spend his days in Bear Island, Willas made his brother Garlan, Deputy Prime Master. There were murmurings of nepotism among Parliament and the Houses but Lady Olenna brushed it aside saying _"Two Tyrells is so much better than one."_ The Tyrell brothers turned politics into an art form, maybe it was the influence of their grandmother and matriarch, but they knew what they were doing and did them well, without the usual melodrama that often accompanied families in power like it did the Lannisters before. Acts and legislative bills were passed without issue with Ser Loras who had finally earned the Speaker's position. The coffers of the Royal Treasury was full, King's Landing no longer had the derelict slums it once had. Even Tyrion Lannister was impressed, the Hand wasn't at all threatened by Willas' ascend to power. Willas had always been humble and gracious seeking the Hand's advice on matters. A very diplomatic move on Willas' part, as he knew which rings to kiss and which feathers not to ruffle. A three headed dragon carrying the Tyrell's Golden Rose became the Prime Master's official new sigil. And as a reward, the King and Queen had given the Tyrells back all ninety thousand of their bannermen.

With Willas and Garlan Tyrell dealing with the civil administration and organization of the Seven Kingdoms and the Eastern Empire, the King could deal with the higher executive functions which included the military command and enforcement of law and order. Through the years, Jon had no choice but to get his hands dirty, especially when dealing with slaves being traded in the black market by defiant Slave traders. Jon had Varys formed a league of spies and assassins to quell the matter as quietly as they could. Many of the old aristocratic slaving families lied dead in the night, stabbed to death or poisoned. It wasn't just the slavers. The assassins went after enemies of the Crown, rebels that try to start any uprising in the East and sometimes in Westeros itself. There were no arrests or trials or any form of _habeas corpus. _No legal due process followed to judge and sentence the Slaver and Rebels, just swift assassinations. It was a stain on Jon's honour and conscious except the trail never led back to the King. No one but the few people in the Smaller Council knew about it, and as time passed, Jon learned to live with that. Sacrifices were necessary for the stability and peace of the Realm.

The Queen got to pick what functions she wanted and it gave her freedom. Dany learned more about managing the kingdoms as the years passed. She helped to revise the tax system with Master Ewan Tully and the Masters of the Coins that came and took his place when he retired. The Queen eliminated some duties and taxes and had encouraged trade among Westeros and the Eastern Empire. She often spoke with the Maesters and the Lord Commander of the Armed Forces. The Queen even oversaw the curriculum that would be taught in the Royal College and Military Academy. Dany looked through the laws of the country and met with the Masters of Law on written legislature and judicial processes and if it could be improved. And of course, most importantly, she was very concerned with the social welfare of her people. Dany involved the princesses in the process so that they would learn. She didn't want them to just care about dancing, tapestries and singing.

The Crown Prince Eddy was sent to Casterly Rock at age ten following the traditions of young noble boys learning to squire in other noble Houses. Eddy learned about swordsmanship from Jaime Lannister and he was quite good at it. When he was fifteen the prince had his own household at Dragonstone, bringing three dragons with him, Aegon, Balerion and Valyria. The eight dragons had grown in numbers and then there were fifteen in total after ten years. When asked which castle she would want, Aerysa chose Harrenhall as her seat. It baffled her parents but they let her go and she left with a staff of five hundred and three dragons. The princess wanted to rebuild the large fortress castle and the cost was starting to add up in two years.

* * *

Jon shook his head when he saw the accounts. Aerysa had expensive taste and she wanted the finest in everything. As his eyes went down the list, he felt his head beginning to throb with a dull pain and his eyes widened at the exorbitant, extravagant amounts.

"Why would she need so many dancers and musicians?" Jon asked his wife as he rubbed his temple. He was nearing forty and had a dust of grey at his temples. "Two new gowns every day?"

"_Your_ daughter likes to hold masque balls in the grand halls..." Dany said with a smile. "Every night I hear."

"She spends like a drunken sailor in a bordello in Lys..." Jon grumbled. His eyes were still on the accounts that the Master of Coin had recorded on the princess's monthly living expenditure. So large it could feed half of The North for a year. Jon put the scrolls away and sighed.

"I told you that you spoilt her too much...I warned you Jon." Dany told him wryly. "You never listen. Now look what happens."

"Lyanna doesn't ask for anything..." Jon said as he got into bed. "Not even for a new dress."

"That's because she is _my_ daughter..." Dany said with a tease.

Dany sighed as she thought of her youngest. Lyanna was living in Cerwyn castle, it was close to Winterfell and the young princess liked living in The North. Lyanna brought three dragons with her as well. Her expenditures were very modest compared to the twins. Dany had missed having her babies with her. They had all grown up much too fast. Eddy was tall, towering even his father, with broad shoulders and a winning smile. He was handsome and brave. Jaime Lannister who mentored the boy when he was sent to Casterly Rock had nothing but praises for the Crown Prince.

Eddy was a fast learner, adept at swords fighting and archery. He could shoot arrows with precise accuracy while riding a horse at fast speeds and had wanted to join in Tourneys. Jon didn't allow it of course, afraid that Eddy would injure himself. Eddy's tutors and maesters had written to the King that the Crown Prince was very intelligent. He liked languages and was good in arithmetic and advanced sciences. He also developed a love for alchemy and music. He loved his dragons and had bred falcons and hawks as well.

Aerysa who had always been stubborn and headstrong, also had the fiery Targaryen temper. She hated having her lessons and always argued with her tutors and maesters. She was different from her twin brother, Eddy who had a pleasant disposition and loved to tease. Lyanna who had always been docile and sweet tempered as a child, grew to be quite the tomboy. Lyanna loved riding and the outdoors and had insisted to learn archery on horseback like her brother. Dany and Jon were very relieved that despite the differences in characteristics, none of their children displayed any traits of madness or cruelty.

Jon smiled as he looked at Dany who stood in front of him. His wife was thirty nine, and she still looked youthful and desirable. Her long silver blonde hair tied in a single braid. Her violet eyes still shimmered brightly. Her petite body had the soft curves and she hadn't grown blimp with age, which Jon was secretly grateful for. But even if Dany did grow heavy and fat, Jon knew would love her still. They never spent a night apart since they were reunited at Castle Black a decade ago. There were the usual arguments that could be passionate and infuriating especially with both of them being stubborn and hard headed. But they would reconcile before the day was done, both of them apologizing profusely to each other between kisses and caresses.

Dany was dressed in a long sheer, lacy night gown that showed more than it covered. Jon pulled her in his arms and kissed her as he pushed Dany on the bed.

"Let's make a child tonight..." Jon murmured as he trailed kisses down her neck.

"We've tried for years Jon..." Dany sighed. "Maybe three is what we're destined to have...The dragon has three heads remember?"

"Enough talk of prophecies Darling..." Jon said. "You know I don't believe in them..."

He gently caressed her beautiful face and smiled seeing the fine lines and teeny crows feet around Dany's violet eyes. She had always complained about them, but Jon found it endearing. It reminded him of the years they had spend together and many more to come where they would be old and gray together just as they had planned. Jon kissed each eyelid and kissed her lips again.

"Eddy will be eighteen soon..." Dany reminded him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Freedom for us my Love..." Jon said with a smile. He had been waiting for ages to finally be relieved of his duties as King.

"I found a nice estate in the Riverlands..." Dany informed him. "We can grow some crops there if you want. A few goats, chickens and cows even. It comes with a place for the servants."

"Servants?" Jon asked his wife. "I thought we agreed that we would live simply..."

"You can't expect me to clean the house by myself Jon," Dany said with a frown.

"Well if that makes you happy," He told her. Jon smiled and kissed her and Dany returned it passionately. He tugged on her dress and hiked it up her thighs. "I only want to make you happy."

Dany smiled more and parted her legs. She started to take Jon's sleeping tunic off and they continued kissing. It grew deep and passionate and then there was a loud knock on the door which startled the Royal Couple. They immediately broke apart.

"What is it?" Jon cried out angrily, hating the interruption.

"It's the Hand Your Grace. An Emergency." The King's Guard told him.

"It is late and I am with my wife!" Jon cried out. "Tell him to wait till the morning!"

"Your Grace. This is an emergency..."

Jon heard his sister's Arya's voice. He looked at Dany who gave a slight shrug. Jon cursed under his breath and took his robe. He wore it while Dany draped a bedsheet over her.

"Come in..." Jon huffed.

The door was opened, and Arya walked in. Lord Tyrion was there as well. Jon looked at his Hands. They wore solemn looks on their faces and Jon was worried for a while. Tyrion's hairline had receded through the years and he had to wear glasses over his eyes. Arya was still looking youthful in her mid thirties. She and Gendry had three more children after Robb.

"What is going on?" Dany asked her Hands.

"An urgent note by raven from Harrenhall Your Grace...from Lady Valyrie Stark, your niece and lady in waiting to the Princess Aerysa," Tyrion spoke gravely. He showed the note to Dany and Jon read it over her.

"No..." He shook his head and cried in. "This is not possible! It couldn't be..."

Dany dropped the note and held her hand over her chest. Her heart palpitating faster than usual. She stared at her husband and Jon just pulled her in his arms. Their seventeen year old daughter was pregnant. Aerysa had lost her innocence and she wasn't even wed. Dany never thought such a scandal would ever happen and to her own daughter at that.

"She is still a child Jon..." Dany cried. "Who could it be?"

"Find the man!" Jon screamed at his Hands. "Find the man responsible!"

"You're not going to like it Jon..." Arya said and breathed out reluctantly.

"Who is it?" Jon screamed. His screams made Arya trembled a little. She had never seen her brother so infuriated. "Who is it?"

"It's Lord Baelish." Tyrion spoke. He bowed his head. "He was her steward Your Grace. You banished him to Harrenhall remember."

"I want his head!" Jon cried. "I want his head on a pike!"

"It gets worse..." Arya said and bit her lip. "They had gotten married in secret a few days ago. We just learned of it now..."

"This cannot be happening..." Dany spoke. She just sat on the bed, shell shocked and covered her mouth as tears fell from her eyes. "She was just a girl...I remember carrying her in my arms. Aerysa and her braids, flowers in her hair. She cannot be married and pregnant...She is a child. She is my baby..."

"She has flowered ever since she was thirteen...In the eyes of the law, the princess is not a child. She is a young woman of marriageable age at seventeen." Tyrion informed the Queen who just broke down crying. Jon saw that and walked to his wife pulling her in his arms.

"I want his head! I don't care! Bring me his head!" Jon ordered.

"We cannot do that. They are married. Lord Baelish is her husband now and she will be Queen soon." Tyrion said

"This is nonsense! The man is old enough to be her grandfather!" Jon said.

"He is fifty four but he is still strong and well..." Tyrion told him.

"Annul the marriage..." Dany said seriously to Tyrion and Arya. She had stopped crying and looked at the Hands.

"Get the High Septon and have it annulled and send for the princess here and my other children as well!"

* * *

Jon sat on the Iron Throne an angry man that morning. He was even angrier when his daughter, Aerysa walked in with her husband in hand. Jon stared at Littlefinger. He looked older and thinner but he was healthy. Dressed like a refined older gentleman. It had been almost twenty years since Jon banished the man from King's Landing and like a bad case of rash, Littlefinger came popping up in his life, taking Jon's precious daughter away. Aerysa was smiling, a blushing bride who had no idea of the scandal she had brought to the palace. Dany hugged her daughter when Aerysa rushed to her.

"_Issa._.." Aerysa said and hugged her mother tight.

Aerysa then went to hug her father as well and Jon looked his daughter seeing how she had grown. She was a beautiful young woman. A striking beauty that many courtiers had nicknamed her _Princess Seastar_, after the legendary beauty, Shiera Seastar. Like her mother, Aerysa was petite, with the silver blonde hair and violet eyes that were cat like. Her features were delicate, she had high cheekbones and a heart shaped face and her lips, full like rosebuds. Her nose, long, delicate and upturned. She was a goddess among all the ladies in court. Jon felt his heart breaking, his beloved daughter had been sullied and brought dishonour to him and the Crown. He could never punish Aerysa of course, so that leaves the man who was responsible.

"Papa please...Let Petyr come back to court. He is my husband now..." Aerysa said as she went to her husband, clutching his hand.

Littlefinger bowed to the royal couple and then held Aerysa in his arms. It took everything in Jon not to jump at him strangle the man.

"Now Sweetheart," Littlefinger said to the princess. "It's alright...I am here to just to pay my respect to your parents..."

"Did you hurt her Lord Baelish?" Jon shouted at the man.

"What?" Littlefinger asked and looked at the King, lost.

"I asked you, did you hurt her Lord Baelish?" The King repeated.

"Of course not, Your Grace. I love her. She is my wife... We are going to have a child together," Littlefinger spoke.

"Arrest him!" Jon ordered and his guards came to surround Littlefinger.

Aerysa looked alarmed and tried to push the guards away from her older husband. "What is going on?" The princess screamed.

"Let go of him!" She shouted. "Don't touch him!" She yelled and beat on the guards who were taking Littlefinger away.

"Papa! Stop this!" Aerysa cried and looked at her father. "_Issa_..." She called her mother. Dany looked away and tears flowed from her eyes.

"Do something!" Aerysa screamed as she stared at her aunt Arya who stood silent next to Tyrion. Littlefinger was dragged away and Aerysa stood there staring at her parents.

"We will fix this..." Dany reassured her daughter. "We will get the marriage annulled. You can keep the child. Everything will be well Aerysa. I promise you."

"Fix this?" Aerysa yelled. "I don't want the marriage annulled. I love him! What are you doing? He is my husband!"

"He has taken advantage of you!" Jon shouted at his daughter. "You are young and innocent and he was your steward and he has taken your innocence away from you!"

"He is my husband!" Aerysa yelled. "And I am a woman!"

"Enough!" Jon screamed as he stood up and banged his fists hard, that he cut himself on the Iron Throne. His knuckles were scrapped and bleeding. "Take the princess to her room!" He ordered. "And do not let her out!"

"This is not the end of it!" Aerysa screamed, her violet eyes blazed furiously. "Let him go Father! I will not give him up!"

The guards walked towards Aerysa and she stared at her father and then at her mother. She started speaking in High Valyrian to her mother, her words shocking Dany to the very core. Dany felt the chills down her spine hearing what her beloved daughter said to her.

"_Tell Father to let him go or I will take what is mine with fire and blood."_

* * *

"NO!" Aerysa screamed and stamped her feet on the floor. She was kept in one of the towers, heavily guarded and could not leave the chmabers. "I will not have the marriage annulled!"

"You were under duress Your Highness..." Arya said to her niece.

"I was not!" Aerysa said and paced about in her room. "I love him! Yes. We have consummated our love before the wedding but doesn't everyone?"

"You are so young..." Arya sighed. "And he is an older man, he might have used his charms on you."

"He is an honourable man. You don't know Petyr. But I do. And I love him!" Aerysa spoke passionately.

"I don't care how old he is! I don't even care that he doesn't have anything! I will not give him up!" Aerysa grounded her words. She then went to the window and fingered the pendant that Baelish had given her.

"Your parents do not approve of him Your Highness. There is a reason..." Arya tried to reason with the young woman.

"I do not care what they think! My parents are aunt and nephew and they married each other. Petyr and I are not even related. Yes he is older than me but I care not for it..." Aerysa said huffily.

"It is not Lord Baelish's age but his reputation that is of concern..." Arya said.

"He did nothing wrong!" Aerysa shot back at Arya. "It was your mother who ordered the massacres, he was merely doing his job. Your mother used him because of his feelings for her. Petyr is innocent. My husband is not guilty of anything. I will not forget this!" Her violet eyes flashed as she looked at the Hand.

"When I am Queen, I will remember how my husband was treated. And if he ever suffers any abuse, I will make those who inflict it on him suffer even worse." Aerysa warned Arya.

Arya went to her brother, telling Jon what Aerysa had said to her. Jon looked like his head would explode. He was pacing about in his official chambers, running a hole in the carpet.

"She will not budge Jon..." Arya heaved. "She is as stubborn as you once were..."

"I still am..." Jon said and groaned. "I cannot accept him as my daughter's husband. I will not!"

"But can you accept the child?" Arya asked Jon. "If it is a boy, he will have a strong claim to the Iron Throne Jon. He is your grandson."

"This cannot be happening Arya..." Jon said and covered his face. "My daughter cannot be entangled with Littlefinger."

"The princess will be eighteen in three months Jon. You need to do something. If she becomes Queen...I am not sure what will happen..." Arya said.

"What does he want?" Jon asked his sister and issued his orders. "Find out what he wants and give it. So long as he gives my daughter up."

* * *

Tyrion was still reeling from the shock. And he thought dysfunctional family dramas in Red Keep, were a thing of the past. A relic from a bygone era when Cersei Lannister was Queen. Tyrion was with Varys when the King sent the note, ordering Tyrion to meet with Baelish in the cell. Varys was shaking his head the entire time. The snake had been waiting in the grass for years and when he finally chooses to strike, he struck well. Deflowering the princess who, with her siblings would someday rule over the Seven Kingdoms. _Who would have thought Littlefinger had the patience in him to wait almost twenty years for revenge?_ They had all underestimated the fiendish agent of chaos, thinking that banishing Littlefinger from the Capital and stripping him off his titles was enough. He had stolen the precious jewel of the Crown from right under their noses. If Tyrion wasn't so disgusted by the man, he would have congratulated Littlefinger on his scheme, in disdain of course.

"This is the worse mess since well..." Tyrion huffed. "Since..." He looked at Varys as if prompting his friend.

"Since Prince Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna Stark?" Varys continued for him and drank his wine. "Since Joffrey took Ned Stark's head?"

"Since everything!" Tyrion groaned loudly.

"I knew the snake wasn't done plotting...I was right to say he is the most dangerous man in all of Westeros and now he has the future Queen as his wife..." Varys ranted.

"The prince is still the heir...The Iron Throne does not belong to the princess. She will just be co-regent." Tyrion told his old friend. Tyrion rolled his eyes and muttered a prayer to the Seven gods under his breath or _was it One now?_ He never kept abreast with theological matters.

Somehow Tyrion was grateful the Small Council and Lords in Parliament had all agreed that the Crown Prince would still sit on the Iron Throne and be the main monarch with kingly powers. His sisters would be titled Queens but their roles as co-regents were more supportive than anything. They would oversee the administration of the state and their decisions could be overturned by the Lords in Parliament, the Prime Master and even the Hands. Ser Loras had joked in Parliament that co-regent Queen was just a fancy name for Royal Bureaucrat, which was what the princesses would be. A position that wasn't even close to true power. Parliament had always been a chamber of power for the Lords and the elite non noble citizens from the Council of Commoners in Westeros. Notoriously chauvinistic, they did not trust a woman's rule, Queen or not.

"I should have pushed Princess Aerysa's betrothal to my nephew years ago but Jaime wouldn't listen..." Tyrion grumbled to Varys. "We could have prevented this apocalypse."

"This is an apocalypse indeed! If Littlefinger has his way, he really will be King of the Ashes. Literally speaking, " Varys said.

"The princess has three large dragons Lord Tyrion, male dragons at her steed. She controls them and she is obviously under Littlefinger's thumb. They will burn the entire country down..."

Varys shook his head again and bemoaned. He thought of the years during the War, when Littlefinger was plotting to have Sansa Stark and bring the North under his fold. When Baelish had thwarted his plan to have Sansa married to Willas Tyrell, it was a blow to Varys, and worse, Varys' informant Ros, who was once a prostitute working for Littlefinger had been brutally murdered. It was much worse at the present moment. Far worse. The prospect that Petyr Baelish could have the entire country, all Seven Kingdoms and the Eastern Empire scared Varys to his bones. Littlefinger bided his time through the years and had climbed up the highest step of the figurative ladder he had called Chaos. He made the Princess Aerysa his bride and planted a child in her belly. The Iron Throne always did have a certain appeal to Littlefinger as he had once mentioned to Varys and now his progeny might have a claim to it.

"The gods..." Tyrion groaned and covered his face after looking at King's instructions again. "I have now been given the most odious task to negotiate with Baelish and everyone knows you can't negotiate with a snake."

"Lady Arya suggested to just smother him with a pillow..." Varys spoke, gritting his teeth. "You can try that if all else fails. I would."

* * *

"Lord Tyrion...It's nice to see an old friend..." Baelish said with a smirk when the guards let Tyrion Lannister into his cell in the dungeons underneath Red Keep.

"Very nice indeed..." Tyrion said and gave Littlefinger a forced smile.

"I apologize for the conditions..." Baelish said with a wave of his hands. "I never thought I'd be in the dungeon...What a strange welcome back to King's Landing."

"Really?" Tyrion asked and stared at the man. Tyrion looked around the cell. "This is where Ned Stark was kept when you betrayed him..."

"How is my wife?" Baelish asked Tyrion sharply, ignoring what Tyrion had said about Ned Stark.

"You mean, how is the Princess?" Tyrion asked him back.

"The princess is my wife. How is she?" Baelish demanded.

"She is well..." Tyrion replied. "The King has imprisoned her in the tower. She is surrounded by all the luxury she would ever want. He doesn't allow her to see you though."

"The marriage is legitimate. We went to a Septon, there were witnesses. There is even a license. She is pregnant with my child. It cannot be annulled." Baelish said to Tyrion,

"What is it that you want Lord Baelish?" Tyrion asked him.

"I want to see my wife..." Baelish told him sharply, his gray eyes piercing Tyrion's.

"She is a child..." Tyrion said and stared at him. Tyrion then shook his head in disgust. "I thought your days of deflowering highborn virgins were done. Shame on you Lord Baelish! She is just a child!"

"She is not a child!" Baelish cried. "I know her. She is a woman. She is feisty, strong, exquisite and beautiful and she belongs to me now. Let the King know, that as her husband, Aerysa is mine. It is the Law..."

"The King is above the Law...Surely you know that..." Tyrion told Littlefinger.

"He asked me to come here to negotiate with you. Name your price. What do you want for Princess Aerysa's freedom? His Grace wants this marriage broken off and you gone. It would be wise for you to leave the country once it's done for I cannot guarantee your safety." Tyrion said and let out a tired breathy sigh.

"No..." Baelish replied with a firm shake of his head. "I will not give my wife up! She belongs to me!"

"You are lucky His Grace, King Jon did not just take your head for this heinous transgression..." Tyrion told him with a frown.

"Then kill me and be done with it. I won't be bought. I want to see my wife or nothing at all..." Littlefinger said and crossed his arms.

* * *

Jon couldn't sleep that night. He kept staring at the ceiling. Tyrion had told him about what Littlefinger said when he was in the dungeon. It was infuriating to the King. How dare Baelish not give Aerysa up? Jon turned to look at his wife. Dany felt him stirring and opened her eyes.

"You can't sleep?" Dany asked him. Jon gave a nod and sat up on the bed. He started running his fingers through his thick curls and groaned in frustration. Dany sighed and lighted the candle that was on the table next to the bed.

"We cannot let him take her Dany..." Jon groaned. "She is our daughter."

"They are married Jon and she will not have it broken. She thinks she's in love with him..." Dany said softly and massaged his tense shoulders.

"He is using her..." Jon whispered harshly. "Can she not see that?"

"Aerysa is blinded by her affections..." Dany told him.

"I want him dead..." Jon said. He fell back on the bed, his head resting on the pillow. Jon groaned thinking he should have just taken Littlefinger's head that day when he ran him out of King's Landing eighteen years ago. It would have been far easier. His precious daughter would not have been besmirched and the problems they were having now would not have happened.

"Do you really?" Dany asked him as she moved closer, snuggling in his chest. "Do you really want Baelish dead?"

"Aerysa will hate me..." Jon said with a wince.

"We can make it look like an accident..." Dany suggested. It was a murderous plot and she whispered quietly to her husband.

"I know of this poison...It comes from _Lys_. It is very deadly. It will make it look like a heart attack. The poison will not work immediately. It takes days, at most a week." Dany said. "But soon he will feel it in his heart, it will start beating furiously and furiously and then it stops...and he drops and dies..."

"I can't do it..." Jon shook his head. "No."

"Remember what you told me..." Dany said as she looked deep in his eyes. Jon stared at her.

"When we were in Flea Bottom Jon, remember what you told me years before?" She asked him again. Jon sighed and kissed her forehead. "I know my Love. I know."

"You would do anything to protect our children. You said that remember?" Dany reminded him. "You would do whatever it takes. That we would do whatever it takes..." Dany then took his hand and squeezed it. "This is what it takes Jon."

"This is murder Dany..." Jon told her.

"It is no different from the assassins you sent to kill the Slavers and our enemies in the East." Dany said. Jon grew quiet and realized maybe his wife had a point.

"If we let Baelish live and Aerysa becomes Queen, what do you think will happen Jon?"

Dany held Jon close to her as she lied in his arms. "Aerysa is too young. I will not let him pull her strings and play her like a puppet for his bidding, not with Seven Kingdoms and the entire empire at stake. I will not risk it Jon."

"I know..." He whispered and kissed the top of her head.

"We will release him from the dungeons and we will welcome him in the family and then we hold a wedding banquet for our daughter and drink to him. We'll put that poison in his chalice and watch him drink it..."

"We must make sure he drinks it Dany and no one else. Not Aerysa or anyone else..." Jon told her.

"We will..." Dany said to Jon, reassuring him. "I promise. He will drink it and he will die."

"She will be devastated Dany. If she truly is in love with him, Aerysa will be destroyed." Jon spoke.

"But she will be safe and so will everything else. We are doing it for her own good. Aerysa is our child, our baby Jon. We will do whatever it takes." Dany told him.

* * *

Jon went to see Varys the next morning. The Master of Whisperer needed to orchestrate the assassination and make it look flawless. It couldn't lead back to them. Varys looked at the King seeing the worried look on His Grace's face.

"If you're doing this Your Grace there is no turning back..." Varys told Jon.

"I know..." He said. Jon was hesitant. "What do you think Lord Varys? Is this wrong?"

"He is a dangerous man Your Grace." Varys said with a sigh.

"But does he deserve to die?" Jon asked Varys

"He did betray your late father, Lord Eddard." Varys reminded Jon. "And Littlefinger took your daughter from you. I would say he deserved it most definitely."

Varys then sighed. "But that is just the opinion of an old Eunuch Your Grace..."

Varys looked at the King. He breathed deeply before speaking. "Maybe Your Grace, despite the delicate timing, you should consider betrothals for the Princess Lyanna and the Crown Prince as well..."

"Betrothals? Now?" Jon was surprised that Varys would bring that up. "I don't think this is the time for it Lord Varys."

"You do not need another surprise wedding or elopement Your Grace. The Kingdoms must be stabilized and nothing like a marriage pact to put the minds of the Houses and the common citizens at ease..." Varys advised.

"A royal wedding will be a wonderful distraction for the people." Varys added. "There hasn't been one since you married the Queen. The public will like it. It takes the attention away from Princess Aerysa and the child she carries."

"And who would you recommend?" Jon asked him. He had begun to trust and value Lord Varys' advice as the years passed. Varys proved to be very intelligent and resourceful.

"We form a strong alliance with House Lannister. It is the strongest House in the lands Your Grace. Marry the Princess Lyanna to Lord Jaime's heir Tommen and the Crown Prince to his Tyrell cousin, Lord Willas' daughter Illona...You'll secure the two most powerful Houses in the Lands."

"Illona Tyrell is still a child..." Jon said with a frown. Sansa's and Willas' daughter was only thirteen years of age. Jon wasn't sure if that girl had even flowered yet.

"Well..." Varys said with a tired sigh as he thought of the Martells. They had been badgering for the heir of the Iron Throne to wed one of their own for years. "That leaves us the Dornish then..."

* * *

The Princess Lyanna arrived in King's Landing, two days later, not knowing what had happened. She was a beautiful young woman at sixteen. Lyanna was tall, standing at 5'9, slim and willowy. Her long, thick black curls which she had always found unruly tied into a long braid. Lyanna had her mother's heart shaped face that formed a small cleft on her chin. Her complexion was pale and creamy with rosy cheeks and high cheekbones. Delicate arched dark brows framed her deep violet eyes that had long lidded, thick black lashes. Like her namesake, her colouring and features followed the Starks more than the Targaryens. She was her father's daughter, people could see a lot of King Jon in her. "_More a lone Wolf than a Dragon,"_ people in The North had always said that about the shy princess. Lyanna's delicate wild rose of the North beauty couldn't compare to her sister Aerysa. At least that was what the people in court had said, that though the Princess Lyanna was as beautiful as a winter's rose, she would pale in comparison to the bright star that was her older sister.

It didn't bother Lyanna one bit, she was never one to be envious. Growing up at Red Keep with Aerysa as her sister, Lyanna was used to the attention Aerysa had. Aerysa who was everyone's favourite even their Papa's. The older princess could get away with just about anything and Aerysa did. Aerysa had always been very loving and kind to her younger sister, Lyanna so there was no envy or resentment between both sisters. They never even fought or had an argument before which was rare between sisters with a year and half between them and the princesses shared a very close and warm relationship. Lyanna had grown accustomed to be the one in the shadow, the forgotten dark haired Royal child. She didn't have the Blood of the Dragon colouring that the twins had, the silver hair and purple violet eyes. Everyone had fawned over Aerysa, with her beautiful silver blonde hair that was uncommon and Eddy, who was like the incarnation of the late prince Rhaegar amazed everyone in court with his intelligence.

Lyanna had chosen to live in The North and had formed a very close relationship with the Starks of Winterfell. Perhaps she felt closer to her father's Northern roots than her mother's Targaryen heritage. She kept a pack of five direwolves as pets and they accompanied her when she went riding or hunting. Lyanna was even wary of the dragons that she kept with her. She couldn't show her fear though, that was what the older Lady Stark had often told her. The dragons would know if she was afraid of them, and they wouldn't let her command them. Lady Catelyn Stark was like a grandmother to Lyanna. She adored the young woman and Lyanna often rode up from Cerwyn castle to visit the Lady Stark and her family. She would stay in Winterfell for days playing with Bran and Rickon's children or practised archery with her uncle Rickon.

Lyanna was walking in the courtyard when she looked up and saw a red dragon flying in the sky and swooping down from above. She smiled widely as the Aegon the dragon landed and her brother, the Crown Prince got down.

"Lyanna!" Eddy called and ran towards her. Lyanna ran to him as well. Eddy, her beloved older brother whom she had adored more than anything and was the closest person in the world to her.

Eddy pulled her in his arms and Lyanna hugged him tight. He pulled away and smiled at his sister. "Look at you...You're grown a foot since I last saw you..."

"You don't look so bad yourself..." Lyanna smiled.

Her brother, the Crown Prince Eddy was tall at over six foot four. He had the silver blonde Targaryen hair that he had cut short, falling to his ears and bright violet eyes. Eddy had strong facial features, an arrow straight nose and chiselled jaw. He was handsome, everyone had always said that about him ever since he was a toddler, but Eddy wasn't vain about it. Lyanna laughed seeing the simple clothes Eddy had worn. He hated wearing formal clothes and had on a simple white tunic, cream breeches over riding boots and a red hooded cloak over.

"You're dressed like a stableboy again..." Lyanna remarked.

"We're all the same if you think about it... Commoners, noblemen or royalty." Eddy said with a smile and held his arm around Lyanna while they walked down the gardens.

Eddy then sighed. "People place too much importance on what a person wears and his birth or status as if it has any bearing." He then smiled at his sister.

"I mean you for example in your simple noblewoman's dress. You don't even wear jewellery..."

"You can't ride and hunt with jewellery on..." Lyanna commented wryly.

"Everyone thinks you're a lady but I know what a hellion you are inside," Eddy said with a teasing smile and Lyanna stuck her tongue out. Eddy looked down and saw that she was wearing leather breeches she wore over her dress and gave Lyanna a strange look. "Breeches Lya?"

"This is comfortable..." Lyanna said as she twirled around. She then looked at her brother.

"Are you excited Eddy?" Lyanna asked.

"Should I be?" Eddy asked her back.

"You will be King soon." Lyanna smiled. He would turn eighteen soon and ready to take his place on the Iron Throne. Eddy didn't smile back and Lyanna was a little worried.

"I don't know if I'm ready..." He said quietly.

"Of course you are..." Lyanna told him.

"Maybe I'll abdicate and let you and Aerysa rule over everything..." Eddy told her.

"And what would you do Brother if you're not King?" Lyanna asked him with a tease.

"I'll play my harp and write songs...ride my dragons and see the world..." Eddy said in a dreamy tone. "There's so much to see out there... Why would I want to be shackled here by that ugly Iron chair?"

Lyanna wondered if Eddy was teasing or if he had finally admitted what was deep in his heart. Eddy who had a free spirit and developed into a wanderlust ever since his father brought him on that long trip through Essos.

"You can't do that!" Lyanna cried and held his hand. "I need you. Aerysa will spend every single coin in the Treasury and I will have to hang myself if I have to go to one of her silly masque balls every single night."

Eddy laughed hearing that. They were walking pass a rose bush and Eddy saw the blue winter rose that was in bloom. He plucked one up and placed it on his sister's hair, tucking it behind Lyanna's ear.

"There..." He smiled gently as he touched her hair, tucking some wild strands behind her ear. "A true rose of the North."

"Oh Eddy..." Lyanna said and held his hand.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"You're bleeding..." She said gently and shook her head. The prince didn't realize that he had pricked his finger on the rose's thorn. Lyanna took her brother's finger and sucked it lightly. She then blew on it.

"It's alright Lyanna. Just a scratch..." Eddy said casually.

"I hate the sight of blood..." Lyanna said and trembled. "And the thought of you hurt..." She stopped and stared at him for a while. She wouldn't ever want Eddy to be hurt.

"It's nothing..." Eddy said and hugged his sister, kissing her forehead. "See?" Eddy said and showed her his finger. "Not even a scratch."

Lyanna smiled seeing that. "Blood of the Dragon Sister..." Eddy said with a charming smile.

"Come..." Lyanna said, linking her arm with Eddy's. "We have to go see_ Issa_ and Papa. They said it was an emergency..."

They went rushing the Royal family's residence, excited not knowing the mess they would walk in. Varys shook his head as he stood at the balcony watching the pair. He saw the Crown Prince and the younger princess's interaction and had been watching them the entire time. They had always been close, Varys had noticed and what his _birds_ had reported, too close even for siblings. When they were younger, Lyanna liked to sleep in Eddy's bed. She was always afraid of the storm as a little girl and her big brother would just hold her close through the night. The palace servants realized that when the younger princess was not in her bed but in the Crown Prince's the next morning. It was an innocent thing because they were children and the Queen did not see what the fuss was about and allowed it.

But Varys knew that children do not remain children for long and innocence will not last. He was relieved when they sent the Crown Prince to Casterly Rock and later to Dragonstone. Despite the distances, sending them to opposite ends of the Seven Kingdoms they remained as close. The Master of Whisperer knew they had written to each other often. Varys had to nip whatever closeness the siblings shared right in the bud which was why he suggested the betrothals to the King. There could not be any more scandals to plague the Crown. Varys doubt the Royal family could survive it. The stability of the realm was of utmost importance to the _Spider_, he was doing what he did for the good of the realm. Almost ten years of peace had proved to be ten years too long. The realm had already been unsettled with Littlefinger's unexpected return.

* * *

Aerysa went to see her father that afternoon. The King and Queen were in the drawing room of their private residence in Red Keep. The silver haired princess was in tears as she begged for her husband's release. She took Jon's hand and held it tight.

"Papa please. I beg you. I love him...Don't you want me to be happy?" She asked him, her big violet eyes had gone wet and Jon was affected seeing it. She was his daughter after all. He hated to see her cry. Not his precious Aerysa, who was the apple of his eye.

"All I want is to be his wife..." Aerysa said. "And I am with his child."

"Aerysa..." Jon called her softly.

"If you love me Papa, let me see him. Let him go..." Aerysa and knelt on the floor. "I'll do anything. I'll give up anything..."

The door was opened and Jon looked up seeing Eddy and Lyanna walking in. Eddy was happy to see his mother. He rushed and pulled the Queen in his arms and even lifted her off the ground, making her shrieked. Dany then hugged Lyanna, she was tall, towering above her petite mother. Eddy walked towards Jon and noticed his twin Aerysa was kneeling on the floor.

"What is going on?" The Crown Prince asked. His eyes fluttered in confusion as he gazed at his father and then at Aerysa.

"Tell him Eddy." Aerysa sobbed as she stood up and rushed to her twin. Eddy only held her in his arms as Aerysa's tears wet the front of his shirt. "Tell Papa to let him go..."

"Let who go?" Eddy asked his twin. His expression grew even more befuddled.

"My husband... Tell Papa to release my husband from the dungeons..."

"What?" Eddy stared at Aerysa, his face utterly confused and then he looked at his father. "What is she talking about?"

"You're married Aerysa?" Eddy asked his twin as he tilted her chin up so he could look right in her eyes.

Aerysa gave a nod and tears fell. She then touched her tummy. "I am with child..."

"No..." Eddy uttered, flabbergasted. He then pulled away and stood there. "This can't be true." He shook his head and held one hand on his waist as he bit his bottom lip. Eddy looked at his father and then at his mother.

"So this is the emergency?" He asked his parents.

Jon gave a curt nod. "Your sister's innocence has been stolen!"

"It has not been stolen!" Aerysa shot back angrily at her father. "One cannot steal something that has been given willingly!"

"Aerysa!" Dany cried sharply at her daughter. "Do not speak to your father, His Grace in that manner and tone!"

Aerysa kept quiet and looked away. She started fiddling with the pendant that was on her neck.

Lyanna looked at Eddy in shock and both of them looked at their sister. "Who is he?" Lyanna asked. "Who is the man that..." She paused not knowing if it was proper to continue.

"So who is he?" Eddy asked boldly and folded his arms. "Who is that man that has made you with child?"

"Lord Petyr Baelish..." Aerysa answered quietly.

"Hah!" Eddy laughed. "You must be jesting Aerysa! That man is old. He's an old coot. He can't possibly be your..."

"Stop it!" Aerysa cried, cutting Eddy off. "I will not have you speak of my husband in that manner..."

"This is insane..." Eddy groaned and shook his head. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. _His twin sister married to Littlefinger?_

"We are married. In the eyes of the gods and the Law, Lord Baelish is my husband now. I am a woman and not a child. I had been flowered long ago..."

"And now deflowered..." Eddy quipped which made Aerysa gave him a deathly stare. Dany sighed hearing that. Her son always had a tendency to make light of things.

"It is my choice Papa! I have made my choice! You cannot take me away from him!" Aerysa cried to her father.

"You are a Princess of the Realm!" Jon hollered at his elder daughter. His patience had been wearing thin since reading the note from Harrenhall and Aerysa's constant defiance and impertinent behaviour was the last straw. "You do not have a choice! You are my daughter! You do not get married without my permission!"

"I am the King and Lord here! If I order you to break this marriage! You will do it! Or I will have his head on a pike if that's the only way to separate the two of you. I will do it Aerysa! I will make you a widow and the child you carry fatherless!" He bellowed at the princess.

Jon's three children were shocked hearing their father speaking in such a harsh manner. He had never shouted at them or raised his voice to them before. They had never seen him that furious in all the years of their young lives. He was really angry. The fury and the rage in his voice. His threats weren't empty, veiled promises. The King meant what he said. Jon's face had gotten red, his dark eyes blazing like coals and his nose had flared. Aerysa was trembling while she stood there and she started crying. Seeing that, Lyanna rushed to her older sister and hugged her, letting Aerysa cry in her arms.

"Papa...Maybe..." Eddy called his father but Jon was too angry that he raised his hand and shouted again. "No! There will be no more discussion!"

Eddy grew quiet hearing that. He wasn't one who would argue, especially not when his father was in such dark moods.

Dany went to her husband. The only one who would dare go to him. She bent and kissed the top of his head and whispered gently to him. "It's alright. It's going to be alright Jon..."

Jon calmed down for a while, having Dany there and her soothing touch, like a cool balm, he felt his anger waning a little. He cleared his throat and looked at his children.

"There will be no elopements and secret weddings! It will not be tolerated. Do you understand me? All of you?" Jon asked them. The three of them only kept quiet. Aerysa was still weeping softly in Lyanna's arms.

"We have made arrangements to have betrothals for the rest of you." Jon said brusquely, his eyes looking at Eddy and Lyanna.

"What?" Eddy cried out. He wasn't happy to hear that. "I thought betrothals and forced marriages are illegal?"

"That is for the common people. You are a prince! It does not apply to you." Jon said bluntly to his son.

"Your sister Lyanna will be married to Tommen Lannister and we will marry you off to a princess of Dorne. There will be no more arguments. It is our wish and command. Both your_ Issa_ and I have agreed that it is best. For the stability of the Realm. You will have to obey us as it is your duty."

Eddy turned to look at Lyanna and both of them were alarmed by the news of their impending betrothals. They had never expected that. The colour on their faces had drained and the joy from their violet eyes seemed to diminish. What was to be a happy family reunion turned awry rather quickly, like a dark ominous cloud that came over and darkened what had been a bright day in the sun.

* * *

Dany sighed as she walked into her husband's official chambers. Jon was leaning against the pillar as he stared out at Blackwater Bay, his arms folded. His thoughts looked to be all over the place. Jon was brooding to himself again as he always did whenever something troubled him.

"You couldn't just poison him could you?" She asked. Hearing that Jon turned and gave his wife a glum look.

"It would be so much easier Jon..." Dany said. She walked to him and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his spine. She kissed his back and shoulder

"They hate me now...they see me a Tyrant..." Jon grumbled. "Their loving father, a tyrant on the Iron Throne."

"You're doing what's best, protecting them, protecting the country. They'll understand it one day." Dany muttered. "It's not easy...It's never easy..."

"You're right my Love...It's never easy being King..." Jon told her. He took her hand and kissed it fervently.

"We have each other," Dany said with a small smile. "Even if our children do hate us. Which they do not..."

"Must it always be a trade?" Jon asked her. "Our children's happiness or the stability of the realm?"

"Sacrifices are needed to be made. The children understood that. I've taught them that." Dany said. "They are not ordinary people. They will rule one day. They know their responsibilities and what is expected of them Jon."

"I wished Aerysa remembered that..." Jon said with a grunt.

"She is a wildling that daughter of yours..." Dany said and shook her head. "A wildling with dragon's blood in her veins..."

"And Baelish's bastard in her womb..." Jon spoke with a strangled cry. Jon covered his face with both hands and started to tear up.

"Jon..." Dany called him gently and took his hands in hers.

"This is my fault Dany!" He told her. The tears flowed furiously.

Jon who rarely cried suddenly did. But it was in front of his wife with no one else around. Dany was the only one he would allow himself to be vulnerable to. He would cry like a sick child with his wife and be the same hardened, autocratic, unyielding King to his children. The thought of his precious daughter being robbed of her maidenhood, being used by the perverted Littlefinger, it was just too much for him. As a father, Jon felt that he had failed in protecting her.

"This is all my fault! Now my daughter pays the price with her innocence... It was all my doing. Oh...Aerysa...forgive me," Jon moaned.

Dany hugged him to her and let him cry in her arms. She gently cooed at him and stroked Jon's back. "I will make him pay my Love...I swear to you Littlefinger will pay for what he did..."


	23. Chapter 23 The Dark Dragon

_Note: Hi. Saw the reviews. Okay. Thanks for taking the time to read and review and I appreciate anything constructive that I can use. And it's really nice that some of you seemed invested in this fanfic. Like Wow. You guys are really great especially at the deconstructing the plot lines and going down to the details. I appreciate that and have read the ideas brought forth. Again I would emphasize that the plot is imperfect. I'm not a professional writer. Anyways there will be White Walkers coming soon and the fantasy aspect and I do want to have Melisandre back so I'm sort of figuring that out so I hope having her in this chap is okay. Er okay on to the next one... History has shown us sometimes great fathers/kings don't necessarily translate to good sons even with the best intentions (Marcus Aurellius, Edward I, Suleiman the Magnificent, Francis I etc) especially Targaryens. It's all a toss of the coin._

* * *

Chapter Twenty Three. _  
_

_King's Landing._

The three teenagers were in Aerysa's chambers that evening, the same chambers in the tower where she was held prisoner. A beautiful silver swan in her gilded cage. She was crying in her bed, her sister Lyanna next to her. The Crown Prince stood by the window, his head leaned back against the pillar. Aerysa's sobs were starting to vex Eddy Targaryen. He had always been the even tempered twin but his father's announcement of his impending betrothal to a princess of Dorne had ticked Eddy off more than usual. And the dormant dark dragon that was lying in him started to emerge. He rarely showed that part of him to anyone.

"Stop it!" Eddy groaned. "Stop crying!"

Aerysa sobbed even more and Eddy grew frustrated. He went to the bed and pulled Aerysa up, gripping her arm tightly it made Aerysa winced in pain. Lyanna was shocked by her brother's behaviour. Eddy had never been so rough before.

"If you don't stop crying..." Eddy warned. "I'm going to give you something to cry about..."

Aerysa tried to pull her arm away from Eddy only to have her brother slapping her face hard. Aerysa clawed back at him and Eddy pushed her down the bed.

"Eddy! Stop it!" Lyanna cried. "What is wrong with you!"

"Giving her what she deserved..." Eddy said with a scowl. He glared at Aerysa. "This is all your doing! Father should have slapped you long ago! You spoilt selfish pig!"

"I will hurt you!" Aerysa screamed at him. "I will hurt you so bad!"

Aerysa pounced at Eddy and started to beat at him and he just pushed her to the floor.

"Stop it!" Lyanna screamed. "Both of you! Stop it!"

Lyanna shook her head and stared at the twins. "You're all mad! You're all behaving like crazed animals..."

"You're not so perfect anymore are you Eddy Targaryen?" Aerysa screamed. "She just saw your true colours. Something I've known for a long while."

Eddy rolled his eyes and shook his head. "It's called anger. Everyone has it." Eddy then looked at his younger sister. Lyanna was annoyed and crossed her arms, glaring back at him.

"You have it too...Don't act as if you don't." Eddy said to Lyanna, frowning at her.

"We all have it...It's the curse..." He sighed and sat on the bed. "The madness that comes with the Targaryen greatness...It's in our blood."

"Then none of us should rule then..." Lyanna said bluntly. "We'll end up like the Mad King."

"We don't have a choice now..." Eddy spoke with a groan. "We have to marry for the good of the realm. But we won't be marrying the Lannisters or the Martells. Traitors and opportunists the lot of them."

Eddy then shot Aerysa a deathlike glare. "And it is your fault. You couldn't keep your legs closed and now we have to pay the price. Fix this Aerysa. Break your marriage up!"

"I can't..." Aerysa said, she started weeping. "I love him..."

"You don't love him you Goose..." Eddy said coldly to Aerysa. "Fix this and kill the child. I won't have a bastard in court when I rule."

"I thought you wanted to abdicate and give it all up..." Lyanna said, she didn't know why but suddenly Lyanna was wary of Eddy. Eddy whom she thought was the nicest man turned out to have a dark evil identical twin.

"Well I have to take charge now don't I?" Eddy sneered. "Father's been listening to his incompetent advisors and tried to marry us off..."

"And what do you want to do?" Lyanna asked.

"We follow the old tradition. I'll marry you and Aerysa..." Eddy said his violet eyes looking at his sister. Lyanna felt herself growing weak when she heard that. She loved Eddy but not to be his wife.

"You can't be serious..." Lyanna uttered.

"I am." Eddy spoke. "You know I care about you Lya and her too..." Eddy said rolling his eyes as he looked at Aerysa who was on the bed crying.

Lyanna went to her sister and started hugging Aerysa. She cooed softly to Aerysa and stroked Aerysa's back. Lyanna stared at Eddy.

"Don't look at me like that. I hate it." Eddy scolded her. Eddy shook his head before speaking to his sisters.

"This is the only way to maintain the Targaryens' mighty hold over the realm. The three of us married and all our dragons together. Nine dragons and the six that _Issa_ keeps here in King's Landing. No one can beat us." Eddy said.

"What if I don't want to marry you?" Lyanna spoke, her eyes staring boldly at Eddy. She couldn't show any fear. "Maybe I'll listen to Father and marry Tommen Lannister."

"You'll break my heart then." Eddy said to her. His voice had softened, his eyes staring back at her.

"And you will punish me because you are king and you have the power..." Lyanna said.

"No..." Eddy said and shook his head. "I could never hurt you...I love you too much." He then sighed. "But I'll bring the dragons to Casterly Rock and burn it to the ground if the Lannisters take you away from me."

"How can you be so cruel Eddy?" Lyanna asked him, her face had paled hearing what he just said.

"I thought you were kind and gentle..." She said and shook her head. "I've always thought that of you."

"Oh I am..." Eddy said with a smile. He moved to her and tilted Lyanna's chin up. Eddy then moved and kissed her lips which made Lyanna cringed.

"I can be gentle and kind Lya. But I am a Dragon. Dragons answer to no one. We bow to no one not even our Father. We never have..." Eddy said.

He sat on the bed beside Lyanna and pulled his crying twin in his arms. Aerysa struggled for a while but she later gave up and lied limp in Eddy's arms, letting her brother comfort her.

"It's alright..." Eddy said softly as he stroked Aerysa's hair and cooed at her. "I am here now...Everything's going to be fine. You don't need that old coot Rysa. You have me..."

* * *

Lyanna knew she had to do something. The Heir to the Iron Throne wasn't all he seemed to be. It was heartbreaking. Lyanna felt betrayed. Her dearest brother that she loved more than anything. She left disguised as a servant deep in the night and met with Varys. The princess trusted the old Eunuch. When she was a little girl, Varys had always doted on her. The Eunuch would surprise her with sweets and Lyanna always felt that she could trust Varys. Lyanna told Lord Varys everything. Everything that had happened in Aerysa's chambers in the tower. Varys shook his head and sighed.

"I figured as much..." Varys said. "He always seemed too perfect on the outside... "

Varys stared ahead as he thought of the young prince. A dangerous, dark dragon indeed. He was a chameleon. Making himself well loved by the people, with no outward behaviour that was unseemly. Eddy Targaryen made himself looked like the perfect prince and heir. His father King Jon had always been proud of his son. _Eddy is going to be a great King_, that was what King Jon had said to the Queen countless times. Eddy was humble and charitable. He was intelligent and even tempered. But Eddy hid a dark secret. He had a darkness in him and it could be quite frightening, as no one knew the extent of the darkness.

"I do not think he is mad Lord Varys..." Lyanna spoke as she looked at the Master of Whisperer. "I just think Eddy is afraid maybe. He hates that he is not able to control his destiny and Papa took it away from him so he's just reacting in such a manner."

"Oh, Your Highness a King who is afraid is worse than one who's mad. Fear drives people to cruelty." Varys said. He then looked at the princess. "We have to tell your father Princess. He needs to know this about his heir."

"No..." Lyanna shook her head firmly. "You promise Lord Varys. Let me deal with it. I can speak some sense into Eddy."

"He is dangerous Your Highness. The most dangerous enemy is the one we never saw coming but has been under our noses all along. I thought it to be Littlefinger but it appears that the enemy is more insidious." Varys warned her.

"No." Lyanna spoke. "Eddy is not our enemy. Not yours or mine. He is just misunderstood. I am his sister. He loves me just as I love him. I can talk to him."

Lyanna took Varys hand and clutched it tight. "Promise me Lord Varys. No one must know about this. No one..."

Varys looked at the princess and nodded. He then gave a reluctant sigh. "You have my word Your Highness."

* * *

Petyr Baelish was surprised when a tall, hooded man came into his cell that night. He had been held prisoner for nearly two weeks. The man took off the hood that covered his head and Baelish saw his bright violet eyes and the silver hair that had some streaks of gold.

"Your Highness..." He greeted the Crown Prince, alarmed he would be in the cell. He didn't expect to see the prince.

"I brought a message from my twin sister." The prince told Littlefinger.

"Is she alright? How is Aerysa doing?" Baelish asked the prince.

"She is well." Eddy said smiling at Baelish. "She misses you...She wants you to know that everything will be fine. She has sent me here to release you."

"Tell her that I miss her too..." Baelish spoke. "And that I love her..."

"I will..." The prince gave a nod. "First things first though..."

Baelish stared at the prince wondering what he meant. The prince reached to his cloak and took out a dagger. Baelish was relieved thinking the Prince would help unchain him. He held out his hands and the Crown Prince gave a smirk and then Baelish felt the thrust of the sharp dagger at his gut. The prince stabbed him there and continued with his stabbing, blood spurting everywhere.

"You took my sister's virtue Lord Baelish. You took something that was precious to me..." Eddy whispered in Littlefinger's ear.

"You think you can get away with it?" Eddy questioned him. "You think no one would know?"

Baelish stared at the prince. Eddy gripped Baelish's face as he stabbed his dagger forcefully in Littlefinger's kidney and spleen. He then pulled the knife down and ripped it across Baelish's insides. Eddy then pulled the dagger out.

"I know of the servants in Dragonstone that you paid to poison me, same as you did in my sister's Lyanna's household. Ask me where they are now?" Eddy taunted.

"I killed them with my own hands Lord Baelish...Stabbed them with this same dagger I'm stabbing you right now..." Eddy smirked and stabbed Littlefinger more.

"Then I fed the traitors to my dragons." Eddy said, a glint in his eyes. Eddy pulled out the Valyrian steel dagger and stabbed it in Littlefinger's chest.

Littlefinger moaned, the pain had begun to numb him as the loss of blood started to make him weak. He fell to the ground and looked up seeing the prince looming over him. The plot he had carefully planned had been thwarted.

"You can't kill a dragon Lord Baelish." Eddy told him. "You should know that. And now that you've tried to kill one. The dragon retaliates."

"And that child of yours...he will die just as you will...I promise you." Eddy spoke harshly, his violet eyes just stared coldly at Baelish who lied dying at his feet. He took off a ring from his finger and threw it down on the floor.

Littlefinger coughed up blood and Eddy sighed. He shook his head as he started to walk towards the bars of the cell. The guard opened the cell door and Eddy handed a bag of gold coins to the prison guard.

"Nobody must know of this or I will gut you like a fish myself."

"Yes Your Highness..." The guard said his head hung low.

* * *

The Crown Prince Eddy was staring out his window, his arms folded. What needed to be done was done. He had to do it himself. He didn't trust any Sellswords or the King's guards. They were all his father's men. Loyal to the King and not him. He wasn't king yet but he will soon be. He didn't want it. Eddy never did want to be King but it was what he was born into. His father started making plans, deciding what his future would be and Eddy hated that. He would not marry any Dorne princess or let his precious sister marry Tommen Lannister. He heard a knock and turned. It was one of the palace maids. Eddy looked at her, his eyes narrowed.

"Is it done?" Eddy asked the maid.

The girl gave a nod. "It's inside her tea. Once she drinks it, the princess will start to bleed inside and the babe she carries will wither and die."

"Good." Eddy said curtly. "You can go now."

The maid stood still and Eddy was annoyed. "What is it?" Eddy asked her.

The maid was beautiful with gold blonde hair and green eyes. She was modestly dressed, a far cry from the scantily clad clothes she used to wear. Eddy met her in Lys, one of the pleasure slaves that he had bought and secured them in Red Keep palace as his paid confidants and informants. They were loyal to him and far more effective than any _birds_ Varys had.

"It's your sister Your Highness...the Princess Lyanna..."Tthe maid squeaked.

"What did she do?" Eddy asked.

"She was seen leaving Lord Varys' room last night." The maid reported.

"Are you sure?" Eddy demanded. "Are you certain?"

"You asked us to keep a close watch on her and we did. She met with him last night Your Highness..." the maid informed Eddy.

"Deal with it..." Eddy told the maid. "Find something to make him ill and die. The man needs to be rid off. He has been alive for far too long..."

"He is the Master of Whisperer Your Highness..." The maid told him. "Not easy to get rid of him."

"Use that poison of yours, as long as it doesn't lead back to us. It has to look natural." Eddy said, stressing his words. The maid gave a curtsey and left his chambers immediately.

* * *

"Lord Baelish is dead!" Tyrion announced to the King and Queen. Jon stared at his wife and Dany looked shocked as well. Littlefinger was found dead, stabbed in the cell, a pool of blood surrounding him. His eyes opened, staring lifeless at the ceiling.

"Who did it?" Jon demanded.

"No one knows Your Grace..." Tyrion replied.

"It's not possible..." Jon said and shook his head. He looked at Dany and whispered to her. "Did you do it?"

"No..." Dany replied, still alarmed that Baelish was dead. "I didn't."

"Papa!"

Jon looked up and saw Lyanna running to him. She looked very worried and her voice made Jon anxious.

"It's Aerysa Papa. She's bleeding badly!"

Jon immediately stood up and so did Dany. He held his wife's hand and both of them walked as fast they could. King's guards walking with them as they climbed the winding staircase up the tower. They walked into the chambers and Aerysa was screaming. Jon looked in horror seeing the pool of blood that soaked his daughter's gown.

"The baby!" Aerysa screamed. "The baby!"

Dany went to her daughter and hugged her tight, "No!_ Issa_ No!" Aerysa cried fitfully in her mother's arms. "Save my baby _Issa_. Save my baby..."

Jon looked at the Royal Physician who was there with a few nurses. He was worried for Aerysa's health. "Will the princess live?"

"A miscarriage Your Grace..." The Royal Physician spoke and shook his head. "Her Highness has lost the baby but her life is not in danger."

Aerysa was bawling badly and Jon's heart ached seeing that. Lyanna and Dany hugged the crying princess in their arms. She was made a widow and childless all in the same day. Jon couldn't help but see the coincidence. The timing of everything. Something didn't seem right to Jon.

* * *

Two days later, Tyrion was in Varys' chambers discussing Baelish's murder and the princess' miscarriage. It was a big shock to everyone in Red Keep. Emergency meetings for the Small Council and the Smaller Council were convened to deal with the aftermath.

"This is too much of a coincidence..." Tyrion huffed to Varys. "Are you sure you didn't have anything to do with this?"

"No..." Vary said and shook his head. "But even if I did, I couldn't tell you..."

Varys grew quiet and Tyrion looked at his friend. "You have something on your mind Lord Varys?"

Varys let out a heavy sigh. "What do you think of the Crown Prince Lord Tyrion? Do you think he will be a good King?"

Tyrion chuckled. "That is what worries you..."

The Crown Prince of all people was the one to worry Varys. Tyrion wanted to laugh. The likeable, pleasant, well mannered young man that everyone in the country had nothing but praises for.

"Don't you find him too good to be true?" Varys asked. "I can't seem to find a flaw in him. Everyone I know tells me. He is kind, intelligent, sharp, humble and he cares for the Smallfolk. It's as if the Boy is an angel."

"There's nothing wrong with that..." Tyrion huffed. "His flaw is bound to come out. You and I both know no man is perfect. Kings and Princes even less so."

"But what if he's not the good and angelic prince everyone thought he is?" Vary asked Tyrion. "What if there is something insidious in him?"

"Have you heard something Lord Varys?" Tyrion asked him. Tyrion was a little curious but brushed it aside. Lord Varys can be paranoid at times. "From your little _birds_?"

"No..." Varys shook his head. "I made a promise. I shan't tell you now. Maybe when the time is right..."

"Alright then..." Tyrion said rolling his eyes. He was used to Varys' obsequious nature and knew better than to prod further. The long years with the Eunuch taught him that.

"There is another matter of importance..." Tyrion said with a sigh.

Too many issues happening all at the same time, the Hand was stressed by it. How he longed for the simple days of the past when all that troubled him were the lords bickering in Parliament and the endless scrolls of petitions and complaints that piled up in his office.

"What is it?" Varys asked.

"I received word from the East. It's regarding the Sons of the Harpy...the ones you had sent assassins to kill..." Tyrion said.

"It's a secret State matter Lord Tyrion." Varys frowned. "You know I can't discuss it with you."

"Well one of your assassins has left a trail. Egotistical little bugger! He left a ring with a black dragon's head on all his kills Lord Varys." Tyrion grumbled.

"It is supposed to the clean. Why is a ring being left behind?" Tyrion asked Varys. "His last kill was in an estate in Pentos. He killed the Magister there and his entire family. Children who were sleeping in their cribs even."

"Yes." Varys said and looked at Tyrion. "We received word that the Magister is corrupted. He had been bribed by Slave Masters. We sent orders to take him and whoever involved down."

"Children Lord Varys!" Tyrion almost screamed. "Children?" Varys was taken aback by that.

"I did not order any hits on innocent children Lord Tyrion." He spoke indignantly.

"I am not going to tell the King. His Grace will throw that infamous Dragon temper of his and now is not the time. Especially after his daughter lost a child." Tyrion told him.

"And this assassin of yours, this Dark fiendish dragon. He must be proud of his work leaving rings with a black dragon's head behind."

"Black dragon's head?" Varys asked. His eyes went wide. _The black dragon ring that was left behind in Baelish's cell. _Varys rose from his seat and went to the small treasure chest on his table.

"The gods! It's him! He was the one who killed Baelish!" Varys squealed as he found the black dragon headed ring. Varys showed it to Tyrion. "Guards found it on the floor near Baelish's body."

Tyrion rolled his eyes. "So you were the one to send him then..." Tyrion shook his head. "Tell your assassins to not leave any of their marks or stamps... and stop murdering children!"

"I did not send him!" Varys said. "I do not have any contact with them at all Lord Tyrion..."

"Then who does?" Tyrion asked.

"I ask one of my _birds _in the Crown's Forces and they get their _birds_ and then the spider web grows larger as there are many more _birds_..."

"So you have no idea who he is?" Tyrion asked Varys. "He could jolly well be some Sellsword for hire?"

"No. The assassins are not Sellswords. We don't pay them for their kills. They swore a blood oath to defend the Targaryen dynasty. _Sons of the Dragon_ or something like that...That's what they're called."

"They have a name?" Tyrion's green eyes grew wide. "They can't have a name." Tyrion scowled. "They're supposed to be invisible and anonymous!"

"I heard most were recruited from old Valyrian noble Houses that are scattered in the Nine Free Cities. That is all I know. They worshipped dragons. That was the rumour. So they swear loyalty and fealty not to the King and Queen but to the Targaryen Dynasty of Old Valyria. Any enemies would be dealt with swiftly." Varys spoke.

"And who commands them?" Tyrion asked.

"I don't know. I know they take orders from us...The King asked me to set up a league of assassins and spies and I did. We got the very best, Crown Forces helped to get them and trained them even." Varys said. "My birds told they were trained at Dragonstone island."

"They're very resourceful, they won't kill just one Slaver or rebel. They know how to dig the others up, all the connections and people involved and kill the whole lot. That's why we used them. Fast, efficient and doesn't cost us much." Vary then gave a wince. He felt his heart constricting, the unexpected, sharp pain that was in his chest.

"So this black dragon assassin was sent to kill Littlefinger because he was a threat to the Targaryen dynasty?" Tyrion asked Varys.

He looked at Varys and saw the Eunuch looked pale. His round face had gotten all sweaty. Varys started to clutch his chest, his eyes blinking at a frenetic pace.

"Lord Varys!" Tyrion cried. Varys collapsed on the floor, the chair he was sitting falling with him. Tyrion started to panic and called for the guards. They came rushing in and went to call the Royal Physician.

"Varys..." Tyrion called and held his old friend's hand clutching it tight. The Master of Whisperer groaned in pain.

"Just breathe Varys...breathe...stay calm and breathe..." Tyrion whispered. "The Royal physician will be here soon..."

"The black dragon..." Varys sighed and Tyrion looked at his friend confused.

Varys let out one last breath and closed his eyes and he was breathing no more. Tyrion held on to his old friend's hand and he felt the tears prickling his eyes. Varys was dead. He looked at the floor around him. Tyrion saw a small metal object and he let go of Varys' hand and walked to wear the metal object was. Tyrion bend down and picked it up. It was a ring made of black iron and steel. A black dragon's head with tiny onyxes as eyes. Tyrion looked at it and studied it for a while. It was the ring Varys had shown him.

* * *

Eddy was out in the fields, riding his horse. He had his large bow with him and arrow ready to shoot the straw men he lined up for target practise. He aimed his arrow while the horse cantered through. Enemies of the Targaryen Dynasty that needed to be taken down. The whole lot of them. Some were old enemies of the Targaryens. They had risen against the Targaryens during the Usurper's Rebellion four decades ago. And though it was years ago. The Dragon never forgives or forgets. He must be merciless to his enemies. Some had served his Father, but they were incompetent in Eddy's eyes. And the rest were guilty of making demands to the Crown, demands they should have never deign to make. His father, the King had let them sway his decisions when he shouldn't have.

Baelish was already dealt with and so was the Master of Whisperers. Lord Varys lied dead and cold in his chambers just a few days ago. The Royal Physician said the rotund, portly Eunuch had suffered a heart attack and died. Everyone was shocked to hear it. It seemed natural however seeing Varys' age. He was already in his sixties. The funeral was a simple affair. Varys wrote a will saying that he wanted to be cremated and his ashes to be scattered in Blackwater Bay. Everyone in Red Keep wore black and bell of the Great Sept of Baelor rung over forty times, each marking the years Varys had served as Master of Whisperer.

Eddy was there when they scattered Varys' ashes. He wore a mournful look that evening. Eddy couldn't show the smug smirk of his publicly. It would have been too suspicious. His hands holding his sisters' Lyanna and Aerysa's hands as he stood between them. Eddy always knew it would be the three of them against everyone else in the realm. His sisters needed him, they would be powerful together. Like their ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror with Rhaenys and Visenya as Queens. Aerysa was in a weakened state since she had just recently lost the baby and was so blinded by her love for Littlefinger but she would get over it and be her fiery self again. And Lyanna, Lyanna adored him. She would learn to love Eddy deeply as a wife soon.

"Tommen Lannister..." Eddy said as the arrow hit the target. Tommen who would take Lyanna away from him. That could never be forgiven and Eddy would not let it happen. He took another arrow from his quiver as he continued with his hit list.

"Jaime Lannister." Eddy said the name.

Jaime Lannister had mentored Eddy when he was a teenager. Jaime was a skilful ex –knight and he taught Eddy well. The Crown Prince's time in Casterly Rock, made Eddy realized how powerful the Lannisters were. They were the richest House in all Seven Kingdoms and they had a large army of bannermen under their command. They had the capacity to be formidable foes and Eddy could not forget that the Lannisters had betrayed the Targaryens before. The Lannisters were responsible for the Sack of King's Landing and the eventual downfall of Aerys Targaryen II. The Lannisters were never loyal to the Targaryens. All they cared for was power. Power and gold. The arrow hit the target while Eddy was riding his horse.

"Arianne Martell..." Eddy whispered and aimed before letting the arrows fly. The Martells who had make demands wanting him to marry Trystane Martell's daughter. They were greedy, Eddy felt and he could never trust the Dornish.

"Trystane Martell...Oberyn Martell..."

"Loras Tyrell..." Another arrow hit another straw man. Who could forget Ser Loras? He had always been quite the troublemaker. Always best to get rid of troublemakers as soon as possible.

"Margaery Lannister..." The arrow hit again, right on target. "Olenna Tyrell..."

The pesky Tyrells, who had grown in power, with Lady Olenna on top. The old woman was still alive. Frail but alive and of course Lady Margaery who would take Lady Olenna place as matriarch of House Tyrell despite being a Lady of Casterly Rock. She had been kind to Eddy during his stay in Casterly Rock but he never trusted her. There was something about the woman. She exhibited signs of being someone covetous of power and her smiles and kind words were not to be taken at face value, like a double edged sword.

"Willas..." Eddy aimed his arrow but paused. He would need Willas Tyrell as Prime Master when he becomes King. Willas could be useful and if he stopped being useful and loyal, Eddy would do away with the Lord of Highgarden and his wife Sansa.

Eddy smiled and brought his bow and arrow down. He then thought of another one of his enemy and brought his bow up again.

"Tyrion Lannister..." Eddy smirked seeing the arrow whizzed through the air hitting the target as usual. The Hand was often getting too far ahead of himself and he was still a Lannister. Eddy would need to get himself a new Hand when he is King.

"Catelyn Stark." The arrows continued hitting. "Bran Stark...Rickon Stark..."

"Arya Stark."

The Starks of Winterfell. They had to go as well even though they were kin. They rose against the Targaryens once and would do so again. Eddy never saw himself as a Stark. He was a Targaryen in name and blood. The late Robb Stark wanted the North to be an independent State and Eddy had heard word that his father, the King was considering even greater autonomy for The North. Eddy disagreed with that. He rode his horse faster and took out the last remaining arrow from his quiver. Eddy aimed and the arrow hit the last straw man right at its heart. He breathed in deeply as his eyes stared at the straw man. The last one on his list.

"Jon Stark."

Eddy uttered his father's name. It was his father who came up with the co-regency idea that just wouldn't work and it was his father who wanted to marry him off to the Martells and Lyanna to Tommen Lannister. His father was ashamed of the Targaryen blood in his veins when he shouldn't be. The King did not even dare to tell the public of his true identity and he dared to preach of honour. Eddy closed his eyes for a while, remembering when he was five. His mother took his hand and brought him to the walkway in Red Keep. He saw the severed heads of the Septons and other rebels on the pikes. Traitors that had risen against the Crown during the second Faith Militant Uprising thirteen years ago.

"_You are a Dragon. Dragons answer to no one. Remember that Eddy?" the Queen had said. _

"_Why are their heads cut off Issa?" Eddy asked his mother. "They rose against us. They betrayed us and wanted us dead. They are our enemies." His mother replied._

"_What do we do with our enemies my Prince?" She had asked him._

"_We kill them." The little boy answered. His mother smiled at him and kissed Eddy's cheek. _

"_We kill them all." She said. "We cannot let Traitors live my son. Never ever forget that."_

_Eddy looked at his mother and nodded. The Queen smiled and took his hand, leading him back inside the palace. Eddy turned back to look at the severed heads one last time._

Eddy blinked his eyes open, back to the present where he was still galloping on his horse. His horse was running fast on the cliff's edge and Eddy smiled. He took the dragon horn out of his saddle bag and blew the horn. The horse managed to break its speed but the Prince was flung out and fell into the empty air, the waves and rocks beneath him. Eddy did a graceful somersault and his dragon Aegon came swooping down to whisk him away mid air. Eddy smiled, pleased with himself. He tugged on Aegon's leather reins and the dragon soared. He remembered riding the dragon for the first time with his father in Astapor, it was one of the happiest memories in his life. Eddy loved his father dearly but Love wasn't enough, kinship wasn't enough. Nothing could come between greatness and destiny and the young prince was sure he was destined for greatness. He just had to eliminate those that threaten his reign and those who would get in his way. Targayens like their dragons, after all answer to no gods or men, not even their father.

* * *

Lyanna was lying next to her sister on the bed in the tower's chambers. The tower was away from the Royal family's residence. A quiet place away from everything and everyone in Red Keep. It was a grand prison for royalty. Aerysa had been crying for days and Lyanna couldn't leave her sister alone. Not when Aerysa needed her the most. The door was opened and she watched seeing her brother walking in. For a while, Lyanna was afraid. She stared at Eddy, angry at what he did.

She knew somehow Eddy was responsible. For Baelish's murder, for the miscarriage, for Lord Varys mysterious heart attack and death. She didn't have any proof though. Lyanna didn't know why she kept mum, she didn't tell anyone about her suspicions. Was it out of fear or love? Partly she was afraid, Eddy must have know that she went to meet Varys that night which led to Varys' demise. Lyanna didn't want anyone else dying. The other reason was because she loved her brother. More than anything.

Eddy walked to his sisters and sighed. He bent and kissed the top of Lyanna's head. He sat on the bed and looked at his twin crying to herself, tears wetting the pillows. The beautiful _Princess Seastar_, weeping for the deaths of her husband and unborn child. Her eyes puffy and red, her long silver blonde hair a tangled mess.

"He was going to kill us..." Eddy spoke. His tone had gone flat and without emotion. He looked at Lyanna and then at Aerysa who was lying down on the bed.

"Your husband, Lord Baelish plotted to have me and Lyanna killed by poison..." Eddy said. Lyanna was shocked to hear it. Her heart started beating faster. She never thought someone would plot to have her murdered.

"He had servants in Cerwyn and Dragonstone ready to poison us... Once we're dead you'll get the Iron Throne Aerysa. That was his plan all along." Eddy continued.

Aerysa stopped sobbing and Eddy's brows furrowed as he looked at his sister closely. The guilt in Aerysa's face couldn't be mistaken. He knew his twin too well.

"You knew about this?" Eddy asked her. Aerysa only kept quiet. Her body still as she folded into a foetal position on the bed. "You knew about this!" Eddy screamed at his sister. His violet eyes flashed violently.

The Crown Prince started shaking his twin sister vigorously, wailing at her. "Tell me did you know about THIS?"

"Stop it!" Lyanna said and pulled his arm. "You're hurting her..."

Eddy pushed Lyanna hard that she fell backwards to the floor. His hands gripped Aerysa's throat as he climbed on top of her on the bed. He was strangling her and Aerysa was choking frantically, her arms flailing. She tried to push Eddy off but he was stronger than she was.

"You would have your own blood killed! For that spineless man!" He seethed angrily, fury in his eyes. "Traitor!"

"Eddy Stop!" Lyanna screamed at him. She got on the bed and tried to push him off. Aerysa was struggling badly. Her face changed colour.

"Stop it please..." Lyanna sobbed, tears flowing like a furious river, helpless as she watched Eddy strangling Aerysa. "Eddy Stop it! Don't kill her! Please...I beg you..."

He heard Lyanna crying and Eddy let out a soft groan. Eddy breathed and released his vicelike grip. He let go of Aerysa and she started gasping for breath. She stared at her brother, for a while, deathly afraid of him. Lyanna immediately went to Aerysa and held her close, her arms wound protectively around her.

"I let you live because you're my twin." Eddy told Aerysa.

"This is your one and only chance. If you betray me again Aerysa. I will slit your throat but before that I will kill all those you ever cared about. Your bestfriend, our cousin Valyrie and her mother even. And every single serving staff of yours in Harrenhall. And as for your dragons. I will poison them"

He then looked at Lyanna. "That secret meeting you had with Varys. Don't you dare do it again with anyone else." Eddy warned her coldly. "Even my love for you has limits."

* * *

Jon stared at his children. They were all very quiet when the entire family were sitting down for dinner. Aerysa was still in tears but she wept quietly. It had been two weeks since Baelish's death and the miscarriage. The Royal Physician said that the princess would recover well. But she needed time to mourn. Aerysa wasn't speaking to anyone. Only to Lyanna and Eddy it seems. The royal betrothals had to wait. Too much had happened.

"So will you be returning to Dragonstone?" Dany asked her son, breaking the tense silence that was in the air.

"No..." Eddy said with a wide smile. "I think I'll stay a while. I miss the family. It's good to be back here with everyone."

"That's good." Jon smiled at his son. "There are things I need to talk to you about and show you. Military issues and state matters." Jon sighed.

"You will be King soon Eddy. There's a lot you still need to learn." Jon said to his son

"I can't wait." Eddy told his father with a grin. "I have some ideas to share with you. On housing for the Smallfolk Papa. I think it's possible for the dwellings to be bigger. I brought along some blue prints with me."

"Well show it to me later..." Jon said and smiled at his son.

Lyanna cleared her throat. "I was thinking of leaving for Cerwyn tomorrow Papa if that's alright with you."

"If you want to..." Jon said and smiled at his youngest.

Eddy gave his sister a glare but hid it with his charming smile. "I don't think you should. You need to stay here and care for Aerysa..."

"It's alright. I'm fine now..." Aerysa squeaked softly at the table, finally speaking after so long. "Lyanna can go."

"No." Eddy told his twin, his eyes narrowed. "Lyanna needs to stay to look after you. You're her sister. I'm staying why can't she? We're a family. Families stick together."

Dany looked at her son and gave a nod. "Your brother is right Lyanna. You should stay here...It's still too soon. Your sister needs you."

The serving maids came to pour wine. Dany looked at them. They were beautiful with their golden hair, creamy skin and sapphire eyes. They looked more like courtesans than maids. She noticed the cleavage baring dresses the maids wore and the high slits up to their thighs. Dany looked at her husband. He tried not to look at them, averting his gaze. Dany then looked at her son. Dany saw Eddy giving one of the pretty maids a wink. Dany frowned. She was going to speak to either Arya or Lord Tyrion. There shouldn't be seductive maids in the palaces. She wouldn't want her son or her husband to be distracted by them.

* * *

Jon was with his son in his official chambers after dinner. Eddy had wanted to show him blue prints. He brought the scrolls with him and placed them on Jon's desk. Jon looked at the blue prints and studied them carefully.

"You want houses built on Rhaenys Hill?" Jon asked.

"I think there is room for development," Eddy said. Jon gave a nod and looked at the blueprints and building plans again.

"This is really good." He said to Eddy, praising his son and smiled. "The plans you have in mind..."

"Yes." Eddy said. "We will have to raise taxes a bit for to pay for them..."

"Parliament won't like it..." Jon said with a heave. "I don't think it will pass in the Chambers."

"About that..." Eddy spoke and hesitated. Jon looked at him and Eddy finally spoke.

"Why does everything have to go through them?" Eddy asked his father.

"They are the checks and balances." Jon said to his son. "The parliament represent the people and they serve to ensure that there would be no abuse of power."

"Parliament is corrupt." Eddy said, not hiding the disdain in his tone.

"Half are the nobles and the other the Sept and rich commoners. It doesn't represent the people. And you are King Father as I will soon be. Why can't we have the freedom to make changes as we want to for the good of the realm?"

"I tried that but the Houses weren't too happy. Parliament replaces the Grand Council we once had as political reform. Your _Issa_ and I feels that everyone should have a stake in how the realm is managed."

"It is different in the East though," Eddy muttered. "No Parliament at all. The Governors and Viceroys ruled autocratically and reports to Prime Master Willas who is under your command. Why can't that be the same here in Westeros?"

"There will be war..." Jon said. "We can't guarantee that Kings who come after us will be good Kings. They could be mad dictators or evil tyrants. They might burn the entire country down with them. And then what happens Eddy? Who will stop them?"

"And when I'm crowned King in two months, you will abdicate?" Eddy asked Jon.

Jon smiled and ruffled his son's fair head. "There can't be two Kings...It will be your turn to rule..." He then gave a soft sigh. "And your sisters."

"But they will be co-regents. They won't have much power..." Eddy reminded his father.

"Well unless you want to give it to them..." Jon replied. "They will help you manage the kingdoms but you sit on the Iron Throne and the succession laws will favour your son."

"And if I won't abdicate when my own son turns eighteen?" Eddy asked the King.

"It's your choice Son. You are the King. The Empire's destiny is in your hands and I'm sure you will take good care of it. You've always made me proud." Jon said and patted Eddy's shoulder. "I know you won't disappoint me."

* * *

"He won't hurt us will he?" Lyanna asked Aerysa. They were lying next to each other in her room. Lyanna couldn't leave Aerysa by herself.

"No." Aerysa said. "He won't hurt you Lya. He loves you too much, he always has..."

"I won't let him hurt you." Lyanna whispered.

"He already did." Aerysa cried. "He killed my child Lya. I know it was him..."

"We don't know that for sure Rysa..." Lyanna said and held her sister close. "We don't have proof."

"He has people watching us Lya..." Aerysa whispered. "Eyes everywhere in the palace, in Cerwyn and now in Harrenhall..."

"Why is he doing this?" Lyanna asked her sister.

"He's mad. Mad with power..." Aerysa said sadly. "Maybe he always has been. But Eddy knows how to hide that well...No one knows it. No one but us. And we're too afraid to tell anyone."

"No..." Lyanna shook her head as she snuggled close to her sister. "We are not afraid. We can't let him have power over us..."

* * *

"You don't find their behaviour odd tonight?" Jon asked his wife later that night when they were retiring in their private chambers.

He thought of his children. How quiet his daughters had been, Eddy was the only one talking. He was in his usual pleasant mood which of course made Jon smiled. His son was his pride and joy. Eddy had always been a well behaved boy. He never caused any trouble, and by all accounts had shown exemplary behaviour. Jon felt relieved knowing that when he abdicates, he will leave the kingdoms in good hands.

"Everyone is out of sorts." Dany sighed. "With Baelish mysteriously murdered and Aerysa' miscarriage and Lord Varys' sudden heart attack."

"Lord Tyrion thinks there' a possibility that Varys was murdered." Jon informed his wife.

"The Royal Physician said that he suffered from a heart attack Jon...There was no foul play..." Dany said to him.

"But they are poisons that could make it look like a heart attack," Jon told Dany, looking deep in her eyes. "You told me before. It is possible he was poisoned."

"Who would want Varys dead?" Dany asked him.

"Many. Varys has a lot of enemies. Hidden enemies..." Jon sighed. "Maybe it's revenge for Baelish's death. Lord Tyrion thinks someone must have known that Varys had Baelish murdered and killed Varys for retribution."

"But who was the one who ordered Baelish's death?" Dany asked Jon. "Did you send Varys to kill Littlefinger Jon?"

"No..." Jon shook his head. "Of course not...I wanted Baelish to rot in the dungeon all his life...I thought it was you."

"It wasn't." Dany replied. "I did think of it. But I would have been more discreet not have him stabbed in his cell."

"If it wasn't you and it's not me..." Dany spoke, her violet eyes went wide. "Then who Jon?"

* * *

"You should smile more..." Eddy whispered as he walked beside Lyanna in the halls of the Red Keep. Lyanna kept quiet and her posture grew rigid. She felt the chills running down her spine.

"You're a Princess Lya." Eddy continued. "The people need to see their princess happy..." He said. He took her arm and linked it with his. He touched her hand and realized that she was trembling. Eddy frowned seeing that.

"You're afraid of me aren't you?" He asked her as he pulled her aside. They stood behind a large pillar.

Lyanna only stared at him. Eddy tilted her chin up. "You use to smile when you look at me and now all I see is fear in your eyes." Eddy said to her.

"I would never hurt you, you know?" He told her softly.

"You'd hurt those I care about," She told him, her violet eyes glaring right at him.

"For your protection." Eddy said. He stared at her and gently touched her cheek. "Do you really want to marry Tommen Lannister? Is that what you want Lyanna? Be the Lady of Casterly Rock, when you can be by my side as Queen..."

"I will be Queen regardless." She argued. "I am your sister Eddy. I can't be your wife..."

"If that is what you want..." Eddy sighed. "I'll let you go then..."

"You would?" Lyanna asked.

"Did you know Rhaegar kidnapped the first Lyanna..." Eddy said, eyes looking straight at Lyanna's. She didn't say anything. Of course she knew the story. She had heard it time and time again. How Prince Rhaegar had fallen in love with the young Lyanna Stark and stolen her away from the Usurper, Robert Baratheon.

"It caused a war and the fall of our great House...The Targaryens lost, there were no dragons then...and grandfather Aerys was mad. He also surrounded himself with traitorous, incompetent advisors. That will never happen to us now. I won't let that happen."

"What would you do?" Lyanna asked.

"I would burn all of them into ashes if they dare to rise against me." Eddy said. His tone was calm as he said it but Lyanna couldn't help but feel the goosebumps in her skin.

"Can't you see what's wrong with that? Eddy" Lyanna cried and shook her head. "You would kill people Eddy. Innocent people."

"They're not innocent if they rise against us. They are traitors, enemies of the Crown and the Targaryen dynasty." Eddy said to his sister, his words harsh and biting.

He pulled Lyanna in his arms. "This has nothing to do with us, our feelings for each other. You love me, I know you do. As I love you... It's not a familial love." He muttered and held her face gently, caressing it

"We are meant to be together. You, me and Aerysa. The three of us. Blood of the Dragon, of Old Valyria. Even_ Issa_ and Papa. They shared the same blood..."

"They didn't know..." Lyanna said and pulled away from him. "_Issa_ and Papa didn't know they were related..."

"But yet they still met...they fell in love...they were fated to be together." Eddy said, he pulled Lyanna back in his embrace again.

"Do you believe in reincarnation Lya?" Eddy asked her, a smile on his too handsome face.

"What do you mean?" Lyanna was too afraid to know.

"Everyone says I look like Rhaegar. The exact image of him..." Eddy murmured. "I never knew how Lyanna Stark looked like but I think you would have a likeness to her..."

"Rhaegar and the first Lyanna weren't brother and sister..." Lyanna said, grinding her teeth.

"What has changed Lya?" Eddy asked her as he stepped back and let her go. "Just a month ago you were saying in your letters that you'd run away with me. We'd see the world together. Just you and me..."

Eddy stared at his sister seeing the look on her face. He gave a nod. "I see..."

Lyanna saw the agitation in Eddy's face. He started pace about and his hands closed into a fist. Lyanna turned away, afraid he might strike her but he punched the wall instead.

"You think I would hurt you? I would hurt myself first before that happens..." Eddy said to her. He showed her his fist and she saw the blood on his knuckles. Lyanna immediately took his fist in her hands. She took a silk hanky that was with her and gently dabbed the knuckles. She then blew on the scrapes.

"You can't leave me..." Eddy said softly, pleading to her. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you..." He told her. Eddy pulled her in and kissed the top of Lyanna's head.

"If I agree not to leave you, will you promise me you won't hurt anyone else?" Lyanna asked him. "Anyone that I love. I won't stand for it..."

He pulled away and stared into her violet eyes. The colour was deeper than his and she had dark lashes framing them. "Promise me Eddy?" Lyanna asked him again,

"I promise..." Eddy whispered. He then kissed her cheeks chastely. "Go... get changed and bring Aerysa with you. I will see you at the Tourney..."

Lyanna gave him an odd look. "You'll be in it?" She asked.

Eddy gave a smile. "Joust."

"But Papa..." Lyanna stuttered. "Papa didn't allow you to join..."

"Dragons answer to no one." Eddy told her simply before he turned around and walked away.

* * *

Dany was getting ready for the Tourney. She was quite excited about it. Something she looked forward to attend every single year. She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hand maidens had braided her hair, part of it flowed in waves behind. She stood there and held her tummy. Her tummy was flat. But she had started to feel sick. She remembered missing her moonblood. _It couldn't be happening could it?_ She was nearing forty. Hardly a spring chicken.

"Your Grace..."

Dany turned around when her handmaiden called her. "It's the red priestess."

"Yes..." Dany sighed. "Tell her to come in."

The beautiful woman, dressed in crimson robes walked in and Dany looked at her. It was the priestess, Melisandre. Dany was wary of her. She had heard of Melisandre's reputation. She was a consort and advisor to Stannis Baratheon during the War. Melisandre had been for years, trying to get an audience with the King but Jon had ignored her request. He told Dany that he didn't trust the red priestess and her constant ramblings that he was a hero incarnate. Jon had always been wary of such hero worship. He saw himself as a practical man and he never liked Melisandre.

"Your Grace..." Melisandre said and gave a courtsey.

"Priestess..." Dany said and gave a cautious smile.

"Thank you for seeing me," Melisandre spoke softly.

"Please sit..." Dany invited her. They sat at the table, both of them looking at each other.

The red priestess had stayed in King's Landing after the war. A grand house in Rhaenys Hill, near the large domed dragonpits that had been reconstructed to house the Queen's three large dragons. The dragons' presence had strengthened her magic and she had a large temple built for Rh'llor. Devotees of the Lord of Light came to the temple by the hundreds each day. When news of King Jon's victory at Winterfell years ago and the stories of him surviving the dragon flames, Melisandre was convinced that the King was the Lightbringer. She had been seeing visions of Jon Snow for years and had confirmed it only then. When the five baby dragons were brought in and more dragons had been hatched, magic only grew stronger in the Capital.

The practitioners and warlocks practised in secret though. People were still wary of their power but the magic masters had made quite a name for themselves by selling their crafts. Crop yields had gone up, people seemed richer, happier. Magic could be a force for good and that was because the King who ruled the Kingdoms was the Prince that was Promised. But a sinuous dark threat loomed ahead. A dark, dangerous threat. She felt it for quite some time. When she meditated and stared at the candle flames, she felt the terrors and darkness. Melisandre looked around the chamber, seeing the Queen's guard that were standing still like statues. Unsullied warriors that were loyal to the Queen.

"You need not fear me Your Grace." She said and smiled at Dany. "I would never bring you harm. You are after all his wife. Wife of The Azor Ahai."

Dany felt like laughing hearing it but she didn't out of respect. Followers of the Lord of Light kept saying that about Jon, calling him Azor Ahai. That he was some prophesied deity who would bring peace to the world.

"What is that you want?" Dany asked the priestess.

"I saw visions, bad portents of doom. I think you and the King especially, need to know about them."

"The King doesn't believe in prophecies." Dany told Melisandre. "He thinks they are all just something we make them up to be and that most of them are lies."

"Surely you know that it's wrong." Melisandre smiled surreptitiously. "Mother of Dragons, Slayer of lies..."

Dany stared at the red priestess, alarmed that somehow Melisandre knew about the prophecies that was told to her, years ago in the House of Undying.

Melisandre took Dany's hand and held it. She looked straight into Dany's eyes. "If you permit me...I just need some of your blood."

"No..." Dany shook her head. Bad memories of the past came flashing through her. "No more blood magic."

"Trust me Your Grace. I will not hurt you..." Melisandre spoke. Melisandre lighted the candles that was on the round table.

Dany nodded reluctantly and gave the priestess her hand. Melisandre took a small dagger and sliced a small slit on Dany's right palm. She took the Queen's hand and let droplets of blood fall into the candle's flame and suddenly it looked like the red priestess was in a trance. She stared at the flame and started talking.

"Three sons...You have three sons..."

"No I have one. My son, the Crown Prince Eddy..." Dany spoke and frowned at Melisandre.

"No you have three...One is gone. One is alive and one will be born soon..."

"That's not possible..." Dany said and shook her head. "I am too old to have a child."

"It is. I see it... A son who looks like his father in every way. Curly black hair and dark eyes." Melisandre said and looked at the flames.

"I see more. A dragon. He's dark, dangerous. Flames. Fire and Blood. A lot of blood. He is the one who will betray you..."

"Drogon?" Dany gasped softly, thinking of her black dragon. "No he is loyal to me."

"You love this dragon dearly? No?" Melisandre asked her. "I can feel your love for him, like a mother to a child. It is strong but he will betray your love."

"I do love Drogon..." Dany said, suddenly feeling sad. It couldn't be true could it? Could her faithful Drogon harm her or any of her children?

"You will have to kill this dark dragon. He will harm your family...He will kill many people. He will bring wars and suffering and when the Others come again...the world will die..."

"You want me to kill my dragon?" Dany asked the red priestess.

"This dragon will kill your unborn child." Melisandre warned. "Your child is in danger. And the King as well..."

Melisandre continued looking at the flame until she felt dizzy and suddenly collapsed on the table. Dany stared at the red priestess as she started to gasp in heavy breaths of air. Dany stood up and looked at Melisandre.

"I think you should leave Lady Melisandre..." Dany told her abruptly

She nodded and got up. Melisandre then headed towards the door. She turned around and looked at Dany. "Remember Your Grace, the Dark Dragon. You have to kill him..."

* * *

Tyrion Lannister was sitting at the spectator hall. It was the annual Grand Tourney at King's Landing. He sighed seeing the empty seat next to him. His old friend Varys would usually sit next to him. They'd eat peaches and meat pies and talked about anything and everything. But Varys was gone. Dead in his sixties in what appeared to be a heart attack and Tyrion suddenly missed him. Tyrion sighed. He looked at the Royal stand and saw the King and Queen were seated. So were the two princesses. Aerysa looked like she gained some colour although she was still mourning. The princess wore black gowns made out of silk every single day and today was no different. She was still beautiful, a silver tiara on her head with sapphires and amethyst gems. Princess Lyanna was wearing a gown of dark blue silk with puffed large sleeves at her shoulder and fitted long sleeve down to her wrist. The skirt was full as gowns fashioned in the current time were.

The people called the princesses and the Queen and they waved back to their subjects. Tyrion noticed the King was smiling as well. He smiled so rarely that it was a treat. Soon he would be king no more giving up the Iron Throne to his son and heir. Everyone was quite excited for the coronation there were some counting down the days. Tyrion looked around and wondered where Prince Eddy was. The Crown Prince was well loved but since Varys' death Tyrion can't help but keep thinking of what Varys had said of the prince.

"_But what if he's not the good and angelic prince everyone thought he is?" _

Tyrion shook his head. He must have be getting paranoid. It must have been his old age catching up with him. He sighed and suddenly realized someone was sitting beside him. Tyrion smiled seeing his old friend Bronn.

"Nice day for a Tourney..." Bronn commented as he looked up at the sky. It was bright and sunny. He was biting a cheroot again.

"Nice day indeed!" Tyrion grinned. "Wonder what Varys would say if he were here...He's probably up there looking down at us..." Tyrion said as he blinked his eyes staring at the clouds above,

"Or down there..." Bronn commented. "Somewhere in the Seven hells..."

Tyrion scowled at Bronn. "Respect the Dead please..."

Bronn gave a shrug. "You and I know what Varys is capable of Lord Tyrion..Weren't you the one to tell me that Varys has done things that will chill one's blood?"

"So what have you found out?" Tyrion asked Bronn ignoring what Bronn had said of his late friend Varys. His eyes staring at the knights on mounted horses. At opposite ends of the jousting arena ready to ride and joust.

"They call him the Dark Dragon..." Bronn whispered.

"Said he's the deadliest assassin from the _Sons of the Dragon_. They all call themselves dragons. Red Dragon, Blood Dragon, Rain Dragon. Code names I think. Anyway, word is the Dark Dragon is their leader. No one knows who he is though. He's a hard one to find. A ghost. He kills in one city and he strikes in another hundreds or a thousand miles away the very next day. It's like he flew there or something." Bronn described to Tyrion what he had learned. He was baffled of course learning that the assassin could move so fast between cities. The assassin must have the fastest horse alive.

"This Sellsword I met at Lys told me some prostitute heard wind of the Dark Dragon. Rumour was he bought some pleasure slaves from a pleasure house...A lot of them. Fifty or more. Paid for them in gold."

"So he's an assassin who likes to fuck many women..." Tyrion quipped and rolled his eyes. "Interesting..."

"No..." Bronn shook his head. "That's the thing. He doesn't buy the pleasure slaves for fucking sakes. They work for him, be his spies, his informant, his..."

"His little _birds..." _Tyrion uttered.

"He paid in gold Lord Tyrion...Sons of the Dragon are like squires. No one pays them any wages. Only food, shelter and basics." Bronn said and pondered aloud. "Where the hell did he get that much gold?"

"So he's rich?" Tyrion said and nodded as he looked at Bronn. "A highborn noble who is bored of his highborn life and decides on joining some league of assassins for fun and kill people..."

"Either that or he's a damned good thief." Bronn added. "A thief who is a damned good assassin as well."

"This is a hard one to crack. We're looking for a rich noble ghost or a ghost who steals gold." Tyrion shook his head.

"And he has the fastest horse ever..." Bronn said.

"Needle in a haystack..." Bronn said and heaved, leaning back in his seat as he looked at the arena, seeing the crowds. "We'll probably never know who he is..."

Both Bronn and Tyrion watched as the knights rode towards each other and the tall knight and the black armour hit the other one with the jousting pole and their other knight was knocked off his horse with such forcefulness, it astounded everyone. The other knight fell to the ground hard.

"Whoah!" Bronn yelped. "That looks like a hard fall..." Bronn grinned and clapped hard as he rose from his seat. "Should have bet on the black one."

Tyrion stared at the knight in the black armour. The breast plate had the Targaryen three headed dragon. He only wondered who it was that was competing and representing the House Targaryen. The knight rode his black stallion towards where the King and Royal family were. He took off his helmet and revealed himself, silver pale blonde hair fell over his forehead and the audience grew mad and started cheering and applauding. It was the Crown Prince. He waved at the crowd, a smile on his handsome face.

"I didn't know His Highness, the Prince was competing," Bronn spoke as he clapped his hands.

Tyrion stared at the helmet that the Prince carried with him. It had a dragon's head on top, the design was exactly the same as the one on the ring that Varys had found. The Hand clapped his hands as his eyes never left the Crown Prince.

"I didn't know he was competing too..." Tyrion muttered as he looked at the prince.

Guess there was a lot about the Crown Prince that nobody knew and Tyrion remembered what his old friend, Varys had said about Prince Eddy on the very same day he had died.

"_What if there is something insidious in him?"_


End file.
